Only One
by xmjcx
Summary: Bethyl AU. Beth is a student nurse who is struggling through the last few weeks of her studies when she stumbles across the infamous Daryl Dixon. He doesn't seem anything like the stories that she has heard about him, and after their (brief) first encounter, Beth can't seem to get him out of her head - but surely, he can't be all that bad, right? Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first time writing (and posting) a fanfiction so I hope it's up to standard. I love this pairing and I can't get away from them so I had this idea and thought I would run with it. Please review and let me know what you think!**

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Beth groaned at her aching muscles as she stuffed her belongings from the staff room fridge into her brown bag. Being a student nurse was_ tough_. She had little free time to herself between balancing studying for exams and working shifts in the hospital on placements, and she struggled to live on the little money that she had been saving in the two year break that she had taken from education before she came to college.

But Beth only had a few more weeks to go before she was finally a qualified nurse (so long as she passed her exams), and she had been earning herself some extra money babysitting for Rick Grimes, a local Sheriff and family friend. Her daddy had been more than helpful when it came to footing the bill for the rent on her little apartment - "I don't want you having to travel too far to campus, Bethy," he had told her. Even though it wasn't much - a bit pokey and narrow and a bit of a tight squeeze now and then - it was more than enough for her.

"You headin' home?"

Beth looked over her shoulder and offered Noah a sweet smile, nodding her head yes. Noah let out a low whistle.

"You just gettin' here?" Beth asked him as she stood up from where she had been crouched at the fridge.

"Sure am," Noah said. "What's is like out there?"

"It's actually not been too bad tonight," Beth told him as she adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder so that it wasn't digging in to her shoulder as painfully. "Pretty quiet, if I'm honest. Watch out for Carol, though, she's in a pretty foul mood."

"She threaten any more kids?" Noah asked. Beth laughed softly and shook her head no. "Can't be in that bad of a mood then." Noah looked over her once before breaking out into a grin. "Go on, get outta here."

Beth smiled at Noah once more before she made her way out of the hospital. Beth had met Noah in the first year of her studies and they had become good friends straight away. Noah was laid back, and Beth liked that about him. She found that she couldn't hold back a smile whenever his big brown eyes met hers - he was always joking around and making her laugh, and Beth appreciated it. Her training was so _serious_ sometimes and it was difficult to remember that a little optimism and laughter never hurt anyone.

It was gone half past four in the morning and Beth was almost at her apartment when she drove straight into a deep pot hole that she hadn't noticed and burst the front tire of her truck. Beth grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, suddenly very alert and aware, and pulled in at the side of the road.

The roadside was dimly lit and Beth wasn't exactly comfortable in this area of town. She was only a ten minute drive from her apartment, but that was at least a half an hour walk and Beth wasn't sure that she wanted to be walking around on her own at this time in the morning.

Beth was struggling to get the spare tire out of the truck when she heard the loud roaring of an engine coming from behind her. She hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings but she definitely hadn't seen anyone drive past her and she had been struggling to get her spare tire out for at least ten minutes now.

Beth was so distracted with pulling out the spare tire that she barely registered the sound of approaching footsteps and she instead whooped in joy to herself at her little accomplishment when she finally managed to get her hands on it.

"Y'alright?"

Beth jumped at the unfamiliar voice as she climbed out of the truck, trying her best to carry the tire with ease. Strong hands grabbed it from her and Beth was startled at just how close the man had been to her.

She really needed to start paying more attention to what was going on around her.

"Thank you," she said as the man took the tire from her with ease. He just grunted at her and turned away, inspecting the burst tire.

It was a small town and Beth knew - or at least knew _of_ \- most people around and she definitely recognised that man, even if his back was turned to her as he began messing around with the tires. The shaggy brown hair and the sleeveless red and green flannel shirt that exposed the hint of a tattoo gave it away.

And the motorbike, too.

They were referred to around town as the Dixon brother's, and Daryl was the younger of the two brothers. Everyone said that they were trouble, but Beth had never interacted with either brother and now that one was there in front of her, she wasn't sure how she felt. She waited to feel uneasy and nervous and apprehensive - but none of that came to her and Beth didn't know how to think _or_ feel about that.

Because instead of wanting to scream at the top of her lungs and run a mile at the sight of him, she found that she was more grateful than anything that this man - who apparently sold drugs and got into bar fights and _hadn't he killed a person once?_ \- was here at nearly five o'clock in the morning, helping her by the side of the road and she hadn't even asked him to.

"I don't even know what happened," Beth began to explain, gesturing to the tire as he pulled it off. Beth wondered when he had learned how to do this.

_I should probably learn how to do this._

"I'm just so tired and it's so dark around here... I didn't even see the pot hole."

"'S nasty," he grumbled under his breath. Beth agreed with him on that.

When he finished the job, he wiped his hands down on his faded blue jeans that had more holes in them that Beth could count and he nodded his head at her. He had left the tire dumped at the side of the road and watched as Beth went over to it. She noticed that his eyes were a brilliant shade of blue - so much nicer than her own - and she felt a bit nervous as he watched her move, but it wasn't the sort of nervous that she would expect to feel around him.

She mentally slapped herself as she heaved the tire up in her arms. Was she _attracted_ to Daryl Dixon?

He came to her aid and helped her push the tire into the back of her truck before he took a few steps backwards, putting some distance between them once more. Beth beamed up at him.

"Thank you so, _so_ much," she gushed.

"Ain't nothin'," he told her, but Beth carried on grinning at him despite his quick dismissal.

"Thank you anyway, Daryl," Beth said.

He gave her a strange expression and Beth felt a brush creeping up her had forgotten that he hadn't introduced himself to her and that she only knew of him because of the horrible stories she had heard around town.

And whilst Daryl probably knew deep down that she would have heard at least some stories about him - after all, who _hadn't_? - he probably didn't appreciate having those thoughts confirmed by her making it completely obvious.

_Why do you always have to be so awkward about everything?_

"I'm Beth," she continued. "I don't... We've never met or anything. And I'm not a creepy stalker, I just... I've heard - I mean, I know your name from around town, and I..."

Beth wasn't sure where she was going with any of what she was saying and she knew that she was rambling and that she was probably - no, definitely - making an even bigger fool out of herself but Daryl didn't seem to mind. He didn't look angry or even creeped out. Beth just couldn't read him.

He didn't give _anything_ away to her.

Daryl had a good poker face and Beth couldn't help but be a bit envious of that. Her daddy always said her face gave everything away and it seemed to be true; everyone could read her like a book, and she never really did mind, but there was the odd occasion when it _really_ got under her skin.

Like now, for example. Because Beth just knew that her cheeks were bright red and that her eyes were wide with shock at her own words and she couldn't help but chew on her lip and shove some of her blonde hair behind her ear clumsily because she felt like an idiot. She probably looked like one, too.

"Anyway," Beth said, bouncing onto her toes as she spoke. "I better get going home. I'm supposed to be studying but I think I'll just get straight to bed after all this. Thank you, again." Daryl just shrugged his shoulders at her and Beth couldn't help but continue. He seemed so disinterested in the whole thing, but really, Beth wouldn't have even known where to begin with any of it had it not been for him.

"Honestly, I don't even know how to change a flat. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't have showed up."

Beth tried not to feel disappointed when he just nodded his head at her and made his way over to his motorbike. She wasn't sure what it was she had wanted from him; after all, he didn't seem like the type to stand around and indulge in idle chit-chat.

Daryl seemed quiet; reserved - maybe even_ shy. _

Beth couldn't really count their interaction as much, but it was more than most of the people she knew had ever had with one of the Dixon brothers and she couldn't help but think that all of the stories that she had heard about him just didn't seem to add up.

It wasn't like he _had_ to stop and help her - he could have just rode on and ignored her, leaving her stuck at the side of the road to sort her own tire out. Or he could have done a lot worse - it wasn't like they were in a nice area of town, it was dark and nobody was around... she had money in her purse and she had left the keys in the ignition of her car and she wasn't exactly a bulky girl.

Beth had always been 'little Beth Greene' to everyone that she knew, and little she was. If Daryl Dixon wanted to take her on, he would definitely win.

She realised that she was still stood staring at him as the engine of his bike roared to life once more. But Daryl didn't move anywhere and part of Beth boldly wondered if he was waiting to make sure that she got in the car and drove off safely. She offered him a little smile that he didn't return before she hopped back into the truck and started up her own engine, glancing at him riding behind her in the mirror until she eventually turned down the side street that led to her apartment and he continued straight down the road.

It was only when she collapsed in bed that Beth really thought about Daryl Dixon. She had never really entertained the idea of him - or anyone like him, for that matter - before. He was a _man_ and she was a girl. It didn't matter that she was twenty three years old now. She knew because everyone told her that she still looked and seemed so _young _and she knew that she wasn't exactly innocent, but if everyone else she knew thought that she was then a man like Daryl Dixon would definitely think that she was just that.

Beth wondered about him. She wondered about what he did in his spare time, how old he was, where he worked. Now that she was thinking about him, Beth came to the conclusion that he was actually _handsome_. At first she had thought that his hair was a little long but it actually_ really_ suited him. And his arms were so _big, _he definitely went to the gym because they just looked so strong. And his hands were big, too, and his eyes were so _blue _and he had stared at her with them and that stare was just so intense and -

Beth stopped herself, rubbing her blue eyes as hard as she could, hoping that if she rubbed hard enough it would maybe wipe the image of him away from her mind. The technique didn't work, and as Beth fell asleep as the sun began to rise, she couldn't help but dream of a rugged man with a rough voice who wanted to help her at the side of the road.


	2. Chapter 2

**I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter and everyone who has favourited/followed this story already. I really appreciate it!**

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Beth shoved some chips into her mouth as she listened to Maggie talking about her new boyfriend, Glenn. Maggie was Beth's older sister and they couldn't have been any more different if they tried. In all the ways that Beth loved frilly dresses and singing songs and studying as a nurse, Maggie drank beer with the guys and could fire a shotgun and worked with their daddy on the farm. They even looked different - Beth all long, wavy blonde hair and pale skin and blue eyes and Maggie with cropped auburn hair, an olive skin tone and hazel eyes. Maggie was at least a head taller than Beth and she had breasts and hips whilst Beth was slim and petite and lacked in the 'womanly curves' department.

But the two got along well - even if Maggie was a little over protective from time to time - and Beth considered her sister to be her best friend.

"So how are things with you?" Maggie asked. Beth shrugged her shoulders.

"Not bad, I guess. Nothing interesting going on, if that's what you mean."

"When do you graduate?" Maggie probed. Beth told her the date and Maggie nodded her head. "Not long now, Bethy."

"I know," Beth said as she took a bite of her burger. "It's gone so fast but not fast enough. I can't wait to start working and actually get paid."

Maggie laughed at that and the girls continued chatting about Glenn when the bell rang to signal that someone had entered the diner. Beth's eyes darted up quickly out of habit and she was shocked to see Daryl Dixon strolling into the diner with another man who she didn't recognise. He was wearing an almost identical outfit to the one he had on when she had met him that evening, except now he donned a leather vest, too, and when he walked past where she was sat Beth turned her head and let her gaze fall on the pair of angel wings that were stitched onto the back of it.

Her gaze must have lingered just a little bit too long because Maggie's green eyes soon followed hers and she looked at Beth and looked at Daryl - who hadn't noticed them as he sat in one of the booths in the corner - and then back to Beth again, confusion evident on her features. She cocked her head slightly and pushed the straw out of her mouth with her tongue and sat up straight, giving Beth a strange look as she did so.

"What?" Maggie said, and Beth tried her hardest not to give anything away.

"What?" Beth mimicked her sister, feigning ignorance.

Maggie just rolled her eyes.

"Tell me," Maggie said. Beth shook her head before taking another bite of her food.

"There's nothing to tell," Beth said sweetly once she had swallowed down the rest of her burger. Maggie narrowed her eyes at her sister in suspicion.

"You ever spoke to him?" she carried on.

"Spoke to who?"

That last comment made Maggie sigh dramatically and Beth couldn't help but feel a _little_ bit guilty. She had always been a terrible liar and this was another one of those times when she really resented having a face that really did give everything away.

"It's not what you think," she began, and Maggie's interest peaked instantly. Her head snapped up from where she had been playing with her food and Beth stifled a laugh. Her sister was easy to read, too, and probably far too interested in Beth's business for her own good. "Really. I just... he helped me out the other night," Beth said.

She instantly regretted her poor choice of words to explain what had happened and she knew as soon as she said it that Maggie would take it the wrong way. Maggie's mouth dropped open and Beth wanted more than anything to take it back or at least explain herself, but she was suddenly very warm and very embarrassed and although her lips were parted, ready to correct Maggie's thoughts, the words just wouldn't come out.

Beth wasn't innocent and she wasn't the town nun like she knew everybody thought she was. But compared to Maggie, Beth _was_ innocent - she had only actually been with two boys before and both had been her partners for a respected amount of time. Maggie, meanwhile, was much less picky when it came to who she spent the night with and she was confident about it, too - never ashamed or embarrassed.

But that didn't mean that Maggie didn't see Beth as being innocent, even if she knew all the details about Beth's past experiences.

"He _what?_" Maggie hissed. "Which one?"

"Not like that," Beth stuttered, shaking her head back and forth. "No... It's not like that. What I mean is, I got a flat tire the other night - well, morning, I guess - on my way home from work, and he helped me out. With the flat. He changed the tire for me."

Maggie's shoulders slumped at that as her tense body visibly relaxed and she let out a quick breath of relief. Beth didn't know how to feel about that. Maggie was _always_ so protective of her and considering the fact that she was a grown woman now - she was_ twenty three years old,_ for crying out loud - it could get under her skin from time to time.

Beth just reminded herself that her sister's heart was in the right place.

"Which once?" Maggie asked once more.

"Daryl," Beth told her. Maggie looked even more surprised at that. "I don't even know who the other one is."

"You've never heard of Martinez?" Maggie said. Beth raised her brows and Maggie shook her head dismissively. "Doesn't matter, anyway. Dixon? Wow." She paused for a minute to study Beth's face before she continued. "Tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell, honestly," Beth said as she laughed nervously, trying her hardest to brush it off. Maggie was making her feel as though they were a pair of pre-teens gossiping over boys they barely even know.

"I saw the way you were looking at him," Maggie countered and Beth blushed furiously.

"Maggie, stop it," Beth pleaded.

Her sister always did this. She always made her spill the beans on _everything._ Even if she didn't want to, Maggie would moan and whine and pester her until she told her everything. Beth didn't necessarily mind, but a lot of the time there really wasn't anything to tell and there were some things that Beth liked to keep to herself.

She had wanted her encounter with Daryl to be one of those things.

Maggie gave Beth a look and Beth huffed at her.

"Fine," Beth sighed.

So she told Maggie about what had happened in as little detail as she possibly could. It had happened over a week ago now and Beth used that as an excuse to not remember much - even though she remembered almost every little detail.

"You gotta stay away from him, Beth," Maggie told her after a moment of silence when Beth's story was finished. Beth sucked up her drink through her straw and didn't say anything to that. "I mean it, Beth. Don't go gettin' any ideas."

Beth batted her eyelids and tried to keep her voice calm, but she couldn't help but feel irritated at Maggie's comment. Even if her sister was just being her typical over-protective self.

After all, Beth didn't even _know_ Daryl Dixon and she doubted that he would even recognise her if he looked across the diner and saw her sat there with her sister. And if he did, he wouldn't even care, anyway. She was sure of it. He probably didn't even remember her name. She was just plain, boring 'little Beth Greene' and he was so much _more_ than that.

No, of course he wouldn't be interested in her. And it wasn't like she was interested in him anyway. She would admit that she found him attractive and she was intrigued by him... but that didn't mean she was interested in him like _that._

"Have you ever even spoken to him?" Beth asked, although she knew the answer. Before Maggie could open her mouth, Beth was talking again. "Because Daddy always told us not to judge a book by its cover and I already know that you've never so much as spoken two words to him so how can you know that I should stay away from him?"

"I'm not judging him by his cover, Bethy. I'm judging him because he's bad news," Maggie told her.

Beth rolled her blue eyes and pursed her lips at her sister. She was getting agitated now.

"Why is he? What, because everyone in town says so?"

"Beth, I'm pretty sure he's _killed_ someone," Maggie said, dragging out her words but still using her I-told-you-so voice.

_God, she is __**so**__ condescending sometimes. _

"You honestly believe all of that?"

"Yes!" Maggie hissed. "You're just bein' naive now Beth."

Beth didn't say anything more and finished off her the rest of her fries in silence. There was no reasoning with Maggie when she got like this and Beth knew better than to try. She couldn't help but feel annoyed with her sister for judging a man she didn't even know so easily, especially after she had just told her about how he had helped her when he didn't have any obligation to.

They payed for their food and as they left the diner, Beth's eyes roamed around in search for Daryl's. She spotted him still sat in the corner booth, eating a burger that she was sure was bigger than her head and her heart picked up when his eyes snapped to hers. Daryl didn't do anything and Beth couldn't stop herself from giving him what she hoped was a dazzling smile and offered him a little wave.

For a brief moment he didn't do anything and the man he was sat with - Martinez, Maggie had called him - shifted his brown eyes from Beth to Daryl back to Beth and then gave his friend a puzzled look. But then Daryl nodded his head at her in acknowledgement and Beth wasn't sure that her grin could get any bigger than it already was but she swore that it did.

Maggie swore under her breath and Beth laughed a little before she followed her sister out of the diner. Beth carried on grinning even though her sister looked absolutely furious.

"What in the world was_ that_?" Maggie asked as they climbed into Beth's truck.

Beth just shrugged her shoulders at her sister.

"I don't know what you're talking 'bout, Mags," Beth said. She was pleased that Maggie just huffed and muttered something under her breath instead of lecturing her about staying away from bad men.

After all, Daryl Dixon didn't seem _that_ bad.

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**I really don't like Maggie's character but I tried my hardest to embrace her and not be too anti-Maggie in this chapter so I hope I managed that. I feel like she would definitely be very involved and very over-protective but not exactly malicious, so I tried my hardest to get that across. **

**Once again thank you for reading and favouriting/following/reviewing this story. Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I have to again thank you for all of the reviews and for everyone who has favourited/followed this story - it really means a lot and honestly motivates me to carry on writing... hence the two updates now in one day! I'm still trying to figure out how to reply to your reviews (can I even do that?) so I'm sorry that I've not been able to reply to you all! Oh, and also thank you to the guests who have reviewed this story, too - I really appreciate it. **

**One more thing: I apologise in advance for the lack of Daryl Dixon in this chapter. **

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"Hi, Daddy," Beth called as she hopped out of the truck. Her Daddy was sat on the rocking chair on the porch of the white farmhouse, a glass of water in his hand as he greeted her.

"Hello, Bethy," he said and she smiled at him as she made her way up the steps of the house. She had lived here for so long and even though she had her own apartment now, she still considered this to be home.

It was where she had grown up and her bedroom was still decorated exactly as she had left it and Beth knew that if she did have to ever move back in, her parents would welcome her with open arms.

"Beth!" she heard her mother shout as she swung open the front door and before she could even step into the house she was being pulled into a tight hug by her mother. It had been nearly one week since they had last seen each other and she knew that Annette missed her greatly.

Beth missed her, too, but it was so hard to find the time to come by as often as she would like when she was so busy on placements and studying. And now that she was babysitting for Rick every now and then, Beth was really beginning to struggle to balance her time.

"It's only for a few more weeks now," Beth explained as she tucked into the dinner that her mother had prepared. "Then I'll be able to just start working full-time and won't have to worry about studying or babysitting."

"Are you enjoying working for Rick?" her Daddy asked.

Hershel and the Sheriff had been friends for quite some time and Beth assumed that their friendship was the reason that Rick had asked her to start babysitting his one year old daughter, Judith, in the first place. He had a son too - Carl, she remembered - but he was almost sixteen now and was always out with his friends whenever she was round.

"Yeah," she nodded as she swallowed her chicken. "I am. Rick and his wife are really nice and I just love Judith."

"Not gettin' clucky now, are ya, Bethy?" Annette asked. Beth just rolled her eyes.

"Not yet, mama," Beth laughed.

"I'm glad to hear it," Annette said. "Although I did think Shawn or maybe Maggie would have made me a grandmother by now..."

Beth's eyes met with Hershel's from across the table and they gave each other a knowing look. Beth tried to fight a smile from her face as her mother carried on talking about grandchildren and that she was pleased to know that Maggie was at least settling down with her new boyfriend.

"The Asian boy?" Hershel asked.

Beth raised her eyebrows at her mother and Annette pursed her lips before nodding her head.

"He seems nice enough," Annette commented.

"You've met him?" Beth asked, a little bit surprised.

It wasn't that Maggie hadn't introduced any of her family to her boyfriends before - in fact, Maggie had brought more boyfriends round than Beth could count - but she had taken a long break from bringing anyone home and Beth was shocked to think that Maggie would have introduced Glenn to her parents without telling her.

Annette shook her head.

"No," she said. "But Maggie's told me a lot about him."

Hershel didn't say anything on the matter and Beth wondered how he felt about it. Her Daddy had always been protective of his daughters, but unlike Maggie, he was quiet about it.

"Do you think she'll be inviting him round for dinner anytime soon?"

"Maybe," Annette said and Beth nodded her head at that. "What about you, Bethy?"

Beth placed down her knife and fork as she finished her food and reached out to grab her glass of lemonade.

"What about me, mama?" Beth asked innocently. Annette gave her youngest daughter a knowing smile.

"When will you be bringing home a boy for us to meet?"

Beth felt her cheeks turning red and she dipped her head to look at her plate, suddenly feeling very exposed. She knew that both of her parents had their eyes on her now and she couldn't help but feel as though they were cornering her.

"I, er..." Beth said, looking up and smiling bashfully. "I guess when the right person comes along, I'll bring them home," Beth said.

"Maybe you'll meet someone at work," Annette said thoughtfully.

Beth shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Maybe."

* * *

"How was dinner?" Maggie's voice came through the phone as Beth washed her dishes.

"Not bad," Beth said to her sister. "They were asking me when you're gonna make 'em grandparents, though," she laughed.

Beth could practically hear Maggie rolling her eyes down the other end of the line.

"Great," Maggie said. "Sounds like y'all had fun then."

"It was nice," Beth said.

"That's not why I called, anyway," Maggie told her. Of course it wasn't.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to come out this weekend."

Beth wiped her hands dry with her cloth and then picked up the phone from where it had been resting on the worktop, turning it off loudspeaker before pressing it to her ear.

"This weekend?" she confirmed.

"Yup," Maggie said. "Saturday night, to be precise."

"I don't know if -"

"Beth," Maggie interrupted. "Don't be boring."

"I'm not being boring," Beth said, slightly offended. "I have so much work to do, you don't understand, I -"

It was the truth. Beth did have a lot of work to do, but Maggie never really cared about that, anyway. She cut her off before Beth could finish her sentence.

"Come on," Maggie said. "Please. It'll be fun. You've not been out in so long."

Beth didn't say anything for a few seconds whilst she tugged on her pajamas. Maggie was repeating the word 'please' over and over again down the line and Beth sighed in defeat.

"Who's going?" Beth asked and Maggie squealed in excitement, taking that as a yes.

"Rosita and Abraham are coming, and Tara, too. I'm thinking about bringing Glenn..."

"So it's just going to be couples and then me and Tara?" Beth laughed.

Even though she was laughing, it sometimes got on her nerves the way Maggie was with these sorts of things. It wasn't as if Beth would necessarily ever say anything, but Maggie was very forward when it came to the men who she was involved with and she was the type of girl who got heavily involved with the other person whenever she got into a relationship.

Beth had no doubt in her mind that if this relationship lasted just a few more weeks, Maggie would soon be attached at the hip to her new boyfriend. And even though she was happy for her sister - Beth was always happy that Maggie was happy with her life - it was still frustrating that she never seemed to be able to separate herself from her other half for too long.

But she was used to it by now.

"Beth," Maggie scolded her. "Don't be like that. Everyone's been askin' about you. It'll be fun."

"Alright," Beth agreed. "Fine. But don't expect me out too late. I was planning on spending this weekend cramming. My exams start in two weeks and..."

"Great!" Maggie interrupted once again. "I'm glad, we've missed you. Listen, Beth, I've gotta run. Glenn's bringing pizza round and he'll be back any minute. I'll text you later, okay?"

Beth tried to hide the disappointment in her voice as she told her sister that it wasn't a problem and told her to have a good night with Glenn before she disconnected the call.

Sometimes Maggie could be so _frustrating._

Beth decided not to dwell on it and instead tucked herself in bed and opened up one of her textbooks. She found that she was spending the majority of her spare time studying nowadays, but she told herself that it would all be worth it when she finally graduated and was able to carry on doing what she was doing now every other day at the hospital. Only she would actually be getting paid for it.

It didn't take long for her phone to start buzzing and Beth unlocked it to see that she had a new message from Tara.

_\- Guess we're the odd ones out this weekend? _

Beth smiled a little at that.

_\- Yeah, I guess we are. _

It didn't take long for Tara to respond.

_\- I'm glad you're coming, anyway. It'll be a good night. I can't wait to see you!_

Beth decided she didn't need to say anything to that. It would be the weekend before she knew it and she'd have plenty of time to catch up with Tara then.

* * *

It was morning before she knew it and Beth was yawning as she got herself ready for work. Although she was exhausted since she had stayed up and spent most of the night reading through her books, Beth was relieved that the sun was already up before she was. She threw on her scrubs and tied her hair up in a loose ponytail and didn't bother to spend any time doing her make-up.

The traffic was awful and Beth was relieved that she had set off a short while before she should have done otherwise she would have definitely been late, and Beth Greene was never late for anything. When she arrived at the hospital, she was shocked to see how many patients were sat in the waiting room to say that it wasn't even midday yet. Beth quickly dumped her bag in the staff room before she searched the ward for any sign of Carol.

But it was Noah that she got sight of first.

"Look who it is," he grinned as she made her way towards him. Beth greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, Noah," she said.

"Hey yourself," Noah responded. "Busy day."

"I can tell," Beth said as she scanned the ward. "Any idea as to where I can find Carol?"

Noah shrugged his shoulders and told Beth that the last place that he had seen Carol was her office, but Beth had already checked for her in there. She thanked Noah for his help anyway and went off in search of Carol.

Carol had worked at the hospital for almost as long as Beth had been alive. She was in charge of all of the nursing students who came and went and although she was only a tiny thing, she was scary when she wanted to be. Beth didn't like catching her when she was in a bad mood, and those moods usually occurred when the ward was under pressure due to a high number of patients - and today was one of those days.

Beth was walking up and down the wards in an attempt to find Carol when she walked straight into her. Carol looked flustered and honestly rushed off her feet, running a hand through her short grey hair as Beth apologised for being so clumsy.

"Can you help me in here?" Carol asked, ignoring Beth's apology.

Beth nodded her head at the woman, not daring to imagine what would happen if she actually said no to assisting her.

"This here is Merle," Carol said as she gestured to the man who was passed out on the bed. Beth placed him at being between forty and fifty years old and even though he looked harmless as he snored away in bed, Beth could tell that he was intimidating. His head was shaved and his shoulders were broad and everything about him looked so much bigger than her in every way. "He came in about two hours ago. We're not sure how - he wouldn't tell us much before we got him to sleep - but he's now without a hand. I've managed to clean it up, I just need you to change his bandages."

Beth nodded her head and got straight to work on what Carol had asked her to do. She always tried her hardest to impress Carol; not only because she was her supervisor and would give her a reference that contributed towards her final grade, but also because she was hoping that after her degree, she could get a job at the hospital. It wasn't that far of a commute from her home and everyone who worked there was friendly enough, too. Noah and Beth had been based at the hospital several times and Beth was more than familiar with the way things worked here and she hoped that she could start her nursing career here.

Carol came into the room again once Beth had finished doing up his bandages and she stood at the foot of the bed, crossing her arms and shaking her head. Beth noted how her lips had formed a straight line and she looked honestly disappointed.

"Do you know him?" Beth asked. Carol nodded her head.

"You could say that," Carol sighed, making her way round the bed and checking his temperature. "I'm a good friend of his brother's."

Beth nodded her head and didn't say anything more about it before she stood up and went to leave the room.

"Would you ask Karen at reception to give him a call and let him know that Merle's here?" Carol said as she went to leave.

"Sure," Beth said. "Who am I telling her to call?"

"Daryl," Carol said, looking at Beth over her shoulder. "Daryl Dixon."

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**Please review &amp; let me know what you think of this chapter :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I can't figure out how to reply to reviews on here but I'm pretty certain that I can't reply to guest reviews full stop because I can only see these in my e-mail, not on the actual story... Anyway, I wanted to just say a quick thank you to Kris (Guest) for pointing out to me that I should label the story with the characters in it so that it's easier to search for. I've done this now so I hope that this makes it easier for you to find!**

**Another quick thank you for reading this story and responding so positively to it. The Bethyl fandom really is so lovely and welcoming so thanks for supporting me as I write my first fic for this site and for this fandom!**

**On that note, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

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Beth grabbed her bag from the staff room and rushed into the toilets quickly, hoping that nobody saw her rushing away. She pulled out her hairbrush and released her hair from where it sat on top of her head in a sloppy ponytail. As she combed through the tangled waves with one hand, she began to pull out bits of make up from her bag with the other. Once Beth was satisfied with her hair, she pulled it up into a neat bun that complimented her face much better than the sloppy pony tail had.

Beth only applied a dash of nude lipstick and mascara and ran some concealer over her blemishes. She glanced over her reflection and thought that she at least looked a_ little _bit more presentable than she had before.

At least she had made some sort of effort now instead of looking like she had just rolled out of bed. Which had probably been because she _had _in fact just rolled out of bed this morning and came straight to work. But that was all technicalities.

Beth glanced over herself in the mirror once more and made sure that her concealer was rubbed in well enough. She took a step back and brushed down her scrubs, cursing them in her mind for doing absolutely nothing to complement her figure.

It was in that moment that Beth stopped herself from over-thinking everything so much.

_What am I doing?_

Beth shook her head at her reflection and stuffed her belongings back inside her bag before hurrying away and dumping the bag back on the table in the staff room. She made her way back down the ward to the closed off room where Merle Dixon was still passed out on the bed.

Carol was rummaging through his notes when Beth walked in and the older woman didn't bother to look up as she entered.

"Beth," Carol said, and Beth wasn't sure whether she should be scared or impressed at the fact that Carol knew it was her just from how she sounded as she walked in. Beth went with the latter option.

"I'm here," Beth said sweetly. Carol looked up at that and studied her, looking with knotted brows for a moment at the blonde's slightly altered appearance, but she didn't say anything about it. Beth was glad. Besides, all she had really done was tidy up her hair - it wasn't _that_ big of a deal.

_Right?_

"I'm gonna grab my lunch while I can. Do you mind keeping an eye on this one for me?"

Beth nodded at Carol and went to take Merle's notes from her to read over them whilst the older woman was gone. Carol handed them over to her and stood up, granting Beth access to her seat.

"I know I should probably have you out there with everyone on the ward, but I know from experience that Mr Dixon can be..." Carol paused for a moment, tapping her chin as she thought of how to finish her sentence. Beth just stared at her with a blank expression. "Let's just say that Merle can be _difficult, _especially in a hospital environment. Just make sure he doesn't leave before I come back and everything will be fine."

Beth carried on nodding her head as Carol warned her about Merle's tendencies to use offensive language and then proceeded to explain how he liked to flirt not so subtly and sometimes get a bit hands-on with the female nurses. Beth was still nodding at Carol and then before she knew it, she was left alone with him.

Blinking as she took in his appearance, Beth couldn't help but wonder what on earth he had done to end up losing a hand. Although Carol had done most of the work, Beth had noticed that it had been a messy job and it was bound to be painful. Carol had already given him some pain relief whilst he was sleeping and had also warned her not to inform him of that - apparently he was a very proud man and wouldn't take too kindly to hearing that he needed something to ease the pain of his injury.

Beth was particularly glad that Carol had warned her of all these things that could potentially set Merle off - even though he was flat out of it, Merle Dixon was already making quite the impression on her.

She was sat on a chair at the foot of the bed busying herself with Merle's notes when she heard someone enter the room from behind her. Beth assumed that it was Carol back from her lunch break and went to push herself from her chair when she heard a deep voice swearing behind her.

Beth wasn't really surprised at him being there - after all, she had lingered around the front desk long enough to hear Karen talking to him so she knew that he would be on his way to the hospital to see his brother at some point soon - but she feigned it as best she could and tried her best attempt at a shocked expression.

Daryl looked shocked to see her there, too, and his lips twitched slightly when she offered him a sweet smile. It wasn't much, but it was something, and Beth's heart raced a little faster at that.

"Hello," she breathed. He nodded in her direction, and it was only then that Beth realised that Daryl was still standing stationary in the doorway, more than just a little awkwardly. Daryl's posture was tense and uncomfortable and Beth wondered about how much Karen had told him in regards to Merle's condition.

"You can come in, Daryl," she told him, and he looked at her with those deep blue eyes for what felt like forever before he did as she invited him to do.

Beth didn't say anything whilst Daryl looked over at his brother lay there in the hospital bed and she instead took the opportunity to look over him. He was wearing a white polo that had a company logo on it that she didn't recognise and it seemed like he had messily attacked it with a pair of scissors because the sleeves had been cut off unevenly. She tried not to look too long - honestly, she did - but she really couldn't help it as her gaze lingered on his tanned arms that she noticed (not for the first time) were really, _really_ big. Beth briefly wondered what on earth he did to make them like that because she just _had_ to know. In fact, Beth thought that every man alive should know, too, just in case - because honestly, what male_ wouldn't_ want to know how to get arms like that?

He must have felt her eyes roaming over him because he narrowed his own and turned his head towards her slightly. Beth blushed and felt a little bit guilty for getting caught looking over him, but she refused to back down. Instead, Beth smiled up at him, hoping that he wouldn't think she was some perverted creep who ogled men who came to visit their brother's in hospital all of the time. As a matter of fact, this was the first time Beth had really been so distracted by anyone who set foot in the hospital - and she had worked there for a really long time.

"So," she said after a second, glancing at Merle. She had been so distracted by Daryl Dixon's arms that she hadn't given him much information about the state of his brother, and she quickly realised just how unprofessional she was being.

_He's going to think I'm so bad at my job._

Beth didn't want Daryl to think that because in all truth, she knew that she was a good nurse and she knew that because everyone told her. Her lecturers, her supervisors, her patients - even Carol had told her that she was good, and a compliment from her really meant something.

"I'm sorry to say that I wasn't here when your brother was brought in, so I don't exactly know all of the finer details about his condition, but I _did_ have a quick read over his notes just before you arrived and it doesn't seem like he's actually given too much away about what happened to him."

Daryl nodded at that and didn't look surprised at all as she began to explain the extent of his injuries and the state that his arm was now in. Daryl didn't scream or shout at her like the stories she had heard would indicate he might, and he didn't threaten her, either. Before he had arrived, Beth had wondered if she was going to be the one to tell him about Merle and she had also wondered about how he would take the news of his brothers injury and the fact that the staff at the hospital wouldn't be able to do anything to help with his now handless arm.

In all truth, Beth had never expected him to take it so calmly, and that thought made her feel guilty almost instantly. She had scolded Maggie for judging this man on all of the stories that they had heard from around town and she had interacted with him for just long enough to think that he was actually _nice_ and now here she was, wondering as to why he wasn't punching her in the face because his brother had lost his hand.

"I'm not sure how long it will be until he wakes up. Carol will be straight back up to check on him once her lunch break is finished but she wanted me to..." Beth cleared her throat awkwardly. "Keep an eye on him whilst she was gone."

Daryl nodded his head once at her and he seemed to understand what she meant, and Beth hoped she hadn't offended him. He didn't seem to think much of it, though. His poker face had come back once again.

"Alrigh'," he said.

The two sat in a comfortable silence as Beth flicked through more of Merle's notes and she couldn't help but be shocked at the amount of times he had been in hospital for several injuries - most of them caused by reckless behaviour and fighting. Beth could admit that he did look quite intimidating, but at the same time he appeared to be almost soft whilst he lay there sleeping in bed, snoring softly and mumbling incoherent words every now and again. Beth was so caught up in reading Merle's notes that she didn't even notice Daryl staring straight at her.

"Didn' know you worked here," Daryl said after a little while.

Beth was shocked to hear him speaking to her and looked across the room to where he was sat at his brother's bedside. She looked into his deep blue eyes for a long moment, wondering if she had imagined it or if he had really been speaking to her. But then she realised that he actually looked almost _nervous_ when she didn't respond straight away and it was only then that Beth was sure that he had really spoken to her.

"Yeah," was all she could say for a second until her brain began to function normally again. She neatened up Merle's notes in her lap before looking back up at Daryl again. "I'm only a student. I graduate soon though, and I'm hopin' to come and work here permanently then."

Daryl nodded at that and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"How old are ya?"

His question caught her off guard, but Beth couldn't help but smile. It was one she was asked often and she knew that most people thought that she looked younger than she was. Part of her didn't doubt that Daryl would be surprised to hear that she was coming to the end of her degree - after all, he probably thought that she was still in high school.

"Twenty three," she said. "I know that kinda makes me a bit older than most graduates, but that's 'cause I took a bit of break in education so that I could save up some cash and move away into my own place."

Daryl looked her up and down and then shifted his vision to Merle. Beth looked at him for another long moment before she asked him his own age.

"Too old," he mumbled, and Beth just cocked her brow at him. He still wasn't looking directly at her, but Beth was certain that he would be able to see her from the corner of his eye. "

Thirty one," he said eventually, and Beth didn't ask him anything else. Daryl already seemed uncomfortable enough without her probing for more personal information about him. Beth supposed she would find it all out in due time, although part of her wished that someone would give her a set of notes similar to his brother's so that she could learn more about the younger Dixon brother. He was just so quiet and calm and endearing and Beth couldn't help but want to know more about him.

It wasn't long before Carol was coming back from her lunch break and she relieved Beth of her watch and instructed her to help out Noah on the ward. Beth nodded her head at Carol before offering Daryl a smile as she left.

"See ya around, Mister Dixon," she said as she opened the door.

Daryl's eyes roamed over her appearance - seemingly drinking her in as she stood right in the middle of the doorway - before he responded.

"See y'round, Beth," he said in a low voice and Beth's stomach fluttered at the fact that he had remembered her name. She tried to concentrate whilst she was working, especially since it was a busy day at the hospital, but the sound of his voice saying her name was stuck on repeat in her mind and no matter what she did, she just couldn't shake it.

Beth wasn't even sure whether or not she wanted to.

When she got home from the hospital that evening she was grinning as she prepared her meal and then she was humming to herself as she read over her textbooks. As she changed into her pajamas and set her alarm for the next morning, there was still just one fact smugly singing in the front of her mind.

_He remembered my name._

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**Please review and let me know how you feel/what you think about this chapter and if there is anywhere in particular you would like me to go with this story then also please let me know!**

**I really mean it when I say I appreciate every single review/follow/favourite that I receive for this piece of fiction and it honestly is so motivating to hear from the people who read this as I write it, so I can't encourage you enough to leave me a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter/story. Thank you! :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**I feel like I start every chapter with this but the amount of personal messages/reviews/favourites/follows this story has received is so motivating and I just want to thank all of you for being kind enough to leave me such positive feedback. I also want to thank Annimated Information who has left me information about how to reply to reviews. I've not got round to this yet so please bare with me on that. **

**Another thing I quickly want to mention was that a few people have mentioned that they would like to see a chapter from Daryl's POV. Is this something you would all be interested in? I'm just about to start writing the other half to this chapter so if it _is _something that most of you would like to see then I'll give it a try on the next chapter and see how it goes.**

_**(I'll stop rambling now). **_

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"You look amazing."

Beth blushed at the compliment and tucked some of her straightened blonde hair behind her ear. She had spent nearly an hour taming it so that it fell in a perfectly straight line down her back and towards her hips and she was crossing her fingers and toes that it didn't rain or else all of her hard work with her hair would be a waste.

She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a strapless red top that she was certain she didn't pull off very well due to her lack of cleavage, but Maggie insisted that she suited it and that it made her look older. Beth had always had a baby face and she knew that Maggie was probably only saying that so that she wore the top, but the thought of not looking sixteen years old for once won her over.

Beth matched the outfit with a pair of red heels that, despite their height, didn't make her much taller at all and a little white clutch that she had found. She had felt a little over-dressed until Maggie walked in wearing a tight white bodycon dress that clung to her every curve and a pair of sky-high wedges to match.

"You look so good, too," Beth said.

Maggie beamed at that.

"You ready?" she asked and Beth nodded her head yes before checking that her purse and phone were safely tucked inside her clutch bag. "Got your ID?" Beth nodded again, trying her hardest not to show that it was still annoying that she even needed to go out of her way to bring it anymore.

Maggie led the way out of the little apartment and Beth followed her sister, stopping briefly to lock her door and tuck her keys inside her bag. Maggie called after her as she made her way down the staircase, telling her - not so politely - to get a move on and Beth hurried as best she could in her heels.

"These are _not_ easy to walk in," Beth huffed as she climbed into the taxi.

"I'm glad you're coming out tonight," Maggie smiled. "Glenn's really excited to meet you."

"Really?" Beth asked suspiciously. She was pretty sure that none of Maggie's boyfriends had ever been excited to meet her.

That was usually because they weren't the sort to meet the family - they had all been relationships that didn't tend to last much longer than a few weeks, but Maggie always seemed to insist that they came round for dinner and introduce themselves. Most of the boyfriends she had weren't exactly _awful_ \- some were, yes - but they weren't exactly good matches for her sister, either.

It was a recurring theme that Maggie had never brought the same boyfriend for dinner twice. That meant that whenever Maggie mentioned a new man who was on the scene, Annette would raise her eyebrows and purse her lips and Herschel would just take a swig of his drink and nobody ever said anything about it but everybody knew what the other was thinking.

"Really," Maggie said honestly.

Beth had to smile at that.

"How are things with you and Glenn, then?"

She didn't really need to ask the question because she had already spoken to Maggie about Glenn. A _lot. _In some ways, Beth felt like she knew everything about him that there was to know - and all of the things in between, too (that she probably didn't need to know, but Maggie felt the need to tell her, anyway). Beth knew that Glenn was a pizza delivery boy working at his parents take-away, Rhee's Pizza. She also knew that he loved his video games and comics and he was addicted to anything related to them - including films and TV shows.

Beth had raised her eyebrows at the information because Glenn didn't sound like the typical boy that Maggie would choose to date, however she hadn't said anything about it because it could only be classed as a positive.

Part of her was excited to meet him in a way that she hadn't ever been excited to meet Maggie's boyfriends before, but she put that down to the fact that Maggie was getting older now and was thinking more about actually settling down with someone.

This man could actually end up being in her life for quite some time, especially considering the fact that Maggie seemed serious about him. The two had practically been living together despite only being together for a few months and Beth was impressed to know he had lasted this long.

Maggie told Beth about how well they had been getting along and about how happy she was as the taxi pulled up outside the bar where they had arranged to meet the others. Beth could tell just from her mannerisms that her sister was genuinely happy and that this wasn't just a quick fling like all of the others had been, and so long as Maggie was happy, Beth was happy, too.

The girls paid for the taxi and clambered out. Beth couldn't help but pull up her top every few minutes as they stood waiting to be let into the bar, cursing under her breath every time she did. She had nothing to fill it out and the top kept nudging further and further down and Beth couldn't help but wonder how bad it would be if she only stayed for one drink and then snuck away home because she just didn't feel comfortable here. It had been such a long time since she had been out like this and she couldn't help but feel guilty about the fact that she wasn't at home revising for her exams.

"What's with the face?" Maggie asked as they walked through the entrance of the bar.

"This top is stupid," Beth mumbled. Maggie laughed heartily at that.

"You look gorgeous, Beth," Maggie reassured her, but Beth just shook her head.

"I look like an idiot in this thing."

"That's not true," Maggie said in a serious tone before her face lit up at the sight of the group waving them over from a booth.

Beth assumed that Glenn was the man talking to Tara. Maggie had explained that the two of them knew each other quite well - they had met a few years before and had struck up an unlikely friendship, although Tara had never mentioned him to anyone - and of _course_ Beth knew that where she lived was a small town, but it was things like this that reminded her just how small it was. Maggie greeted him with a kiss whilst Beth shuffled in the booth next to Rosita and greeted all of her friends politely.

It had been such a long time since she had seen them all but everyone looked happy and well.

"Beth, this is Glenn," Maggie called over the loud music. "Glenn, this is Beth," she said again, gesturing between them. Glenn offered her a little wave and Beth smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you," she shouted over the booth.

"You too," he said, and Beth felt rude not saying more - maybe a cliché about how much she had heard about him (even though it was true, she _really_ had heard an awful lot about him) - but the music was so loud that the table was actually vibrating because of it and Beth was struggling to even hear herself think, never mind trying to communicate from across the way of each other.

Rosita had already sent up Abraham to buy drinks and he placed a cocktail in front of her, shaking his head when she offered him the money for it. Beth had never really known what to think of Abraham. He and Rosita seemed like an unlikely match - Abraham being at least six foot four, big and bulky with red hair and a mustache that she just couldn't get her head around; Rosita being a petite little thing - a little bit taller than Beth but shorter than Maggie, with dark hair and brown eyes and big boobs that she happily showed off.

They were both nice enough people, though, and she supposed that they always seemed happy enough together. Beth thought that was all that mattered in the end.

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"How's the degree going?" Tara asked.

At some point during the night, she had stood up from where she was sandwiched in between Glenn and Rosita and came and plonked herself down next to Beth.

"It's alright," Beth told her as she sipped on her fourth cocktail. "I'm nearly finished now. I can't wait."

"I bet you can't," Tara said with a nod.

"How's it going at work?"

Tara shrugged as she took another sip of her beer. For as long as Beth had known her, Tara had talked about training to become a police officer. She had been training for a while and was incredibly passionate about what she did. Beth knew that if her enthusiasm for the job was anything to go by, then she would be an excellent officer.

"Not too bad," Tara said. "You know Rick Grimes?"

"Yeah," Beth nodded, surprised to hear her friend talking about Rick. Rick was well known in the town, but Tara had never mentioned working with him before. "He's a friend of my daddy's. I babysit his daughter sometimes."

"Well he's kinda my boss now," Tara told her.

Beth furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I thought that guy with the eye patch was your boss?"

"Brian? Nah," Tara shook her head. "He was, but he went batshit crazy. Ended up getting kicked off the force."

Beth's eyes widened at that but she didn't say anything more about it as Tara continued to talk about work and how she was progressing. Beth nodded along, not really being able to hear half of what Tara was saying over the blaring music and just hoping that her friend didn't notice.

As the night went on and she consumed more and more drinks, Beth was surprised to actually admit to herself that she was having a good time. At first, Beth had been dreading coming out - she couldn't even remember the last time she had been out for drinks with her friends - but now that she was here, she was glad for it.

Even if Maggie was practically sat in Glenn's lap by now and Abraham and Tara kept whispering in each other's ears.

"Wanna come dance?" Tara asked and Beth nodded her head and followed her to the dance floor.

The bar was busy enough considering it was one of the only places in town to go out and Beth recognised more than a few faces as she danced, never straying too far from Tara. After around half an hour, Beth shouted to her friend that she was going to go and get another drink. Tara nodded her head and indicated to the girl that she was dancing with and Beth gave her a thumbs up and a knowing look before she made a beeline towards the bar.

She was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol she had consumed and was struggling to walk in a straight line and she stumbled into more than a few people as she went to get herself a drink. Once the bartender had placed another drink in her hands, Beth went to turn around and slipped on her heel as she span, stumbling backwards into the wooden bar.

Beth counted herself lucky for not spilling any of the drink on herself as she whizzed around and was relieved that she didn't fall flat on her backside, but it was only a few moments before she realised that whilst she didn't spill the drink down her front, she _did_ spill it down the back of someone else's black tee shirt.

"Oh my god," she shouted in surprise, panic spreading over her features and sobering her up ever so slightly as the person stiffened at the feel of the drink pouring down the back of their neck. "I am so, so sorry."

Beth felt incredibly guilty and genuinely sorry as the person's hand reached up to wipe the back of their neck.

She couldn't help but feel like she recognised those hands and that hair and when the man turned around and she met a familiar sour expression and narrowed blue eyes, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Daryl," she said, though his name sounded more like a question in her mouth. Daryl looked equally shocked to see her standing there and he visibly relaxed when he realised that it had been her who had spilled the drink down his neck.

"Beth?"

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**I feel a little bit mean for cutting it off there... I always feel like I'm constantly writing filler stuff when I don't write Beth/Daryl interacting but I wanted to explore Beth's relationship with her sister and her friends etc so I hope it didn't come across as though most of this was a filler. **

**Please let me know what you think about this chapter and if you would like to see the next chapter from Beth's POV or if you want me to take a shot writing it from Daryl's.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I went for it and wrote it from Daryl's POV. It was a little difficult for me to get into at first but I hope I did an OK job of it. I wasn't expecting to move so fast with this story - I thought it might end up being a bit of a slow-burn - but after a little while this chapter ended up kind of writing itself.**

**I've never written smut before and I don't really know what happened to be honest. I thought I would be a bit more embarrassed because things like this usually leave me very red-faced, but then again it's not exactly all that detailed. It just kind of gets the point across. I also was planning for this story to be a bit more slow burn and I wasn't even going to have these two even kiss in this chapter but things just kind of got a bit heated.**

**Anyhow, I hope you like this chapter. It's not exactly graphic or detailed or anything but I think I'll have to change the rating to M now, just in case it offends anyone etc. I hope that doesn't pose any problems for anyone who has enjoyed this story so far. **

**I should also warn you that t****here's a tiny bit of bad language involved in this chapter too, but doesn't Daryl Dixon and swearing sort of come as a package deal?**

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"Beth?"

Daryl wondered if it was obvious on his face that he was shocked to see her there. He hadn't seen her since the hospital and he didn't even know what to say or where to begin then, and that was when they were both sober. He was useless with women, always had been, and she was so damn _pretty_ and that alone made interacting with her more difficult than he thought it probably had to be.

"Daryl," she said his name again. "I am so sorry about that. I didn't mean to -"

"S'fine," he cut her off, dismissing her apology with a wave of his hand.

Beth grinned at that and then before he knew it she was wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug that he was just far too shocked to return. Daryl supposed that even if he hadn't been shocked, he probably wouldn't have returned the gesture anyway.

Daryl hated physical contact and couldn't even remember the last time that he had hugged anyone. So he stood there awkwardly, one of his hands resting on the middle of her back whilst she gave him another little squeeze.

"I'm so happy to see you!"

Daryl didn't know how to respond to that. _She_ was happy to see _him_? He wanted to ask her why. He wanted to ask her whether she was sure that she really was, because Daryl didn't know if anyone had ever been happy to see him before. He doubted it.

But Beth seemed nice - nicer than anyone he had ever known - and a tiny part of him wasn't even shocked that she was happy to see him, because if anyone in the world was going to be, it would be her.

He couldn't help but look over her appearance once she pulled back from him, blinking up at him with those big blue eyes. Her black jeans were so tight and part of him wanted to whiz her around and get a good look of her from behind because he would happily bet quite a bit of cash that her ass looked unreal. She was so small and he had noticed the first time that they had met that she was shorter than most women he knew, but then her legs always seemed to look impossibly long and tonight really was no different.

The bright red of her top just made her blonde hair stand out more and he thought that she looked amazing. He had seen her looking disheveled on her way home from the hospital in the early hours of the morning, and then he had seen her actually working at the hospital. On both occasions he had thought she looked good, but tonight she had obviously put in a lot of effort dressing up.

She looked gorgeous for it, too - amazing actually, and part of Daryl wished that he had the know-how to communicate with her and tell her exactly what he thought of her appearance. He wanted to tell her that he thought she suited red and that her eyelashes looked so long and her legs looked so lean but he was Daryl Dixon, and Daryl Dixon was useless with words. He had accepted years ago that he would never be any good with women - especially women like Beth.

Women who were _good_ and _nice_. Women who actually had a brain and worked hard and who didn't live in bars. Women who had _ambition_ and dreams, women who were strong-minded but_ sweet_ and _kind_ and thoughtful.

Daryl thought that if Merle were here, he would know exactly what to say to Beth and wouldn't hold back in saying it, either. But Merle wasn't here tonight - it was just him and the guys from work - and part of him was actually glad for that.

He admired her hair for a moment before he realised that she was staring at him, a big smile on her face, and that seemed to snap him out of it.

Not for the first time, Daryl reminded himself that he shouldn't be thinking like this about her. He didn't even know her at all and she was probably just being polite to him considering he changed her tire for her that time. She always seemed so genuinely happy and friendly and she was probably like this with everyone.

"What are you doing here?"

Daryl smirked at that.

"Could ask you the same thing," he told her, and Beth giggled. She actually giggled and Daryl wanted to smile wider than she had probably ever seen him smile, but he didn't. The sound was wonderful and he couldn't help but think that he wanted to hear that sound again. Needed to.

"I'm here with my friends," she said, leaning closer and standing on her tiptoes to speak down his ear. Daryl bent down a little so that he could hear her and she rested her hand on his bicep. He flinched a little at that but if Beth noticed, she didn't move away.

He nodded at that and then she pulled backwards, looking at him for a long moment before he realised what she wanted him to say.

"Work guys," he said, raising his voice slightly so that she could hear him over the music.

Beth nodded her head up and down at him and began making small talk with him. Daryl was still surprised that she was there talking to him, and before he knew it she was pulling him over to a booth where they could sit together so that they weren't blocking the way to the bar.

And then before he knew it, Beth was scooting closer to him every few minutes and then he was offering to buy her drinks. He never offered to buy anyone drinks and he could see a few of the guys from work sitting in booths across the way, all giving him strange looks and seeming to be a little amused at his expense.

Daryl didn't even care.

* * *

Daryl didn't know how long he was sat with Beth for in that little booth, but it felt like it was all too soon before the music was slowing down. He knew that she was drunk and he was pretty gone, too - he had to have been or he would have never have sat there and spoken to her for so long.

Albeit, he wasn't saying much. Beth was leading the way with the majority of the conversation, but she didn't seem to mind that. They may not have known each other well, but Daryl was confident that she must have known by now that he wasn't one to talk. But that fact didn't seem to bother her whatsoever - hell, maybe she even liked the fact that he didn't say much. He wasn't sure and he didn't know if he even gave a crap.

"Do you wanna get goin'?"

He wasn't sure what he was doing and the words were out of his mouth before he had even realised it. And then Beth was nodding and smiling at him and telling him that she would love to get out of here, she just had to say goodbye to her sister and her friends before they left.

Daryl was a little unsure what to do but she pulled him along with her as she crossed the bar and headed to a booth where two sets of couples were sat sharing passionate embraces.

Beth looked a little awkward as she tapped a girl on the shoulder, breaking her kiss with who Daryl assumed was her boyfriend. Beth said something to her and then the girl was leaning back a little, looking straight at him with narrowed eyes and seeming to size him up. Beth said something else to the girl that made her visibly relax and then she pulled her in for a hug, kissing her on the cheek before she made her way back towards him.

Beth asked him if he was ready to go and he nodded his head once at her. She exited the bar first and he followed behind her, unable to help himself as his eyes drifted lower and lower.

He had been right - her ass looked _amazing_ in those jeans.

Daryl wondered if she knew what she was doing to him when she bent down and stuck her head through the window of a taxi and asked the driver how much it would be to take them to her apartment. His eyes widened a little as he overheard her agreeing on the price - he had expected her to drop him off on the way home - but he composed himself before she turned around and offered him a smile.

The pair of them were both a little drunk by now and he even chuckled as she struggled to make her way up the stairs to the apartment. He caught her a few times before she could fall and she kept telling him that he was her'hero' and Daryl really hoped that he wasn't actually blushing because Dixon's didn't - _couldn't_ \- blush, but he had a feeling that for this girl, he probably was.

Beth was different and he had got to know her a little bit more tonight - knew things like where she studied and now he knew where she lived and what her family was like and why she wanted to be a nurse - and he didn't consider many people to be his friends, but he was starting to think that maybe she could be one.

He was still overwhelmed by how attracted to her he was but he supposed that if he could get over that, they would be able to get along just fine.

That idea was blown straight out of the window when they stepped into her apartment and she practically flung herself at him. Daryl was surprised at how bold she was being tonight, but then he supposed that alcohol did that to people - hell, it had helped him actually have a proper conversation with her instead of making some stupid excuse and running away.

He stiffened at first, unsure of what to do and whether this was happening and part of him thought that she might pull away and regret it and change her mind. But she didn't and her lips were still pressed to his and she had wrapped her arms around his neck, too.

Daryl lost all of his self-control the second that he felt her fingertips press into his hair and tug at it gently. He kissed her back and he felt his jeans tighten uncomfortably when she moaned into his mouth. It wasn't long before he was opening his mouth to her and their tongues were grinding against each other, fighting a battle that neither would win.

Beth's apartment wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny either. He supposed the word that came to mind was 'cosy' and from what he saw of it, it definitely suited her personality. But Beth didn't give him much chance to scrutinise the decoration because she was taking control and walking him backwards towards her bedroom, pushing him down onto the bed before she shut the door behind her and then climbed on top of him.

Daryl hadn't been expecting to sleep with her. Beth didn't seem like the type of girl who made one night stands a regular thing but then she was grinding her center into his hardness and the friction it created was barely enough but all too much at the same time.

He knew that he was fucked when she started moaning down his ear and then his hands were roaming all over her body - running through her hair, exploring her exposed skin and then tucking under her top to explore what lay beneath her clothes. Daryl couldn't help but think that every inch of her was perfect and once he had thrown her top over her head he got quick to work on worshiping every inch of her breasts with his mouth.

It had been a while for him and he doubted that he would be able to last long - especially if she rode him and carried on taking control the way she had been doing so far - so he tried to make it as pleasurable as possible for her before he reached his own release. Beth gasped when his fingers dipped into her underwear and then they were kissing again and he was a little shocked and maybe just a bit smug at how quickly she came. He wondered if it had been a long time for her, too.

After she recovered, Beth wasted no time in tugging his jeans down and sitting on top of him. He swore when she settled on him, his hands resting lazily on her hips as she got used to the feel of him. Daryl swore again and again and again when she started bouncing on top of him and she didn't even seem to mind that he didn't last very long at all.

Beth never told him to pull out and Daryl didn't think much of it, shooting himself deep inside her and breathing heavily as she moaned at the sensation that it must have caused for her. She eventually slid off from her position on top of him and laughed a little breathlessly when he slipped out of her before placing a chaste kiss to his lips. Daryl thought that she tasted so sweet and he could hardly believe that he had slept with her.

Daryl had never been good at one night stands and this was usually the time that he shoved on his jeans again and left but he found himself only pulling up his boxers from where they lay around his ankles so that he wasn't lay there completely naked. He was only lay on his back for what had to be half of a second before Beth was leaning her own body into him and wrapping her arms around his waist as if this was something they did all of the time.

Despite being slightly uncomfortable at the contact (he had never been one for cuddling after sex), he couldn't help but relax as she melted into him.

Maybe it was stupid and maybe he was being a pussy about it but he thought that this actually felt nice and when Beth nestled her head underneath his chest, Daryl knew that he was done for.

This girl would be the death of him.

* * *

**So yeah... That got a little bit heated. **

**I'm still not sure how I feel about it because like I said, I really wasn't planning on that happening for a while. I really don't know what came over me and this is my first attempt at writing anything like that so I hope that it wasn't too bad an attempt.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy.**

* * *

The first thing that she noticed was that she was _warm._

That wouldn't have been so strange if Beth Greene wasn't always freezing cold. She didn't always notice, but her friends always told her that she had what they so pleasantly described as 'witch hands' that never seemed to heat up. Everyone told her that it didn't make sense because Georgia was just so hot and stuffy most of the time, but Beth didn't really mind. She was used to it by now and part of her actually preferred being cold to being hot anyway.

So when she woke up feeling warm, she was instantly suspicious.

Her blue eyes drifted open and it was only then that she realised that her head was resting on someone's chest. How had she not noticed that until now? She blamed it on the hangover, because her head was pounding and her stomach was churning and she was glad that she hadn't been sick in her sleep. She had done that a few times after a night out and she couldn't imagine anything worse than her cuddle buddy waking up with her sick all over their chest.

One of Beth's arms was numb because it was resting underneath the person's body and she tried to wriggle it free without disturbing them from their slumber but she couldn't quite manage it.

Beth huffed in defeat and it was only when the covers that were tucked around her fell down a little bit that she realised she was naked.

That's when it all came back to her.

She gasped and the sound woke him up. She could tell because his chest had been rising and falling underneath her in such a relaxed and gentle manner, but now he was hard and stiff and alert. Beth bit her lip and tugged a little at the covers to make sure that her breasts were safely hidden beneath them before she pushed herself off his chest a little so that she could look up at him.

Daryl was rubbing one of his eyes with his hand and he looked straight at her once he had stopped yawning. Beth thought that it was strange to see him looking groggy and tired and half asleep because it was something that seemed a bit out of place when Daryl came to mind.

She smiled up at him and was glad to see him return it as best he could. His lips twitched slightly and Beth supposed that the word 'smirk' would better describe it, but she classed it as a smile nonetheless. She thought about how she never really saw Daryl smile, but then she remembered that he had smiled at her a few times last night. He had even laughed when she was falling up and down the stairs on the way back to the apartment.

Beth had made a fool of herself last night and she knew it. He probably thought that she did this all of the time - bringing men back to her apartment for one night stands - and she wanted to correct those thoughts and tell him that this was her first time ever doing anything like this and that part of her didn't even want this to be a one night thing.

But she didn't.

Beth supposed that if all Daryl wanted was a one night affair then she would take that and be happy with it because at least she had spent the night with him and she had been close to him in a way she had wanted to be since she first saw him. Beth had never been attracted to someone enough to want to do anything like this with them, but Daryl was just _different._

He made her feel safe and warm and _home_ and Beth wished that she could just tell him that but she didn't want to scare him away - he was already skittish enough, neither of them needed her making things worse. She told herself that she shouldn't even feel like that about a man she barely even knew but she couldn't help it. He was causing so many unfamiliar feelings inside her and Beth wondered if he would ever stop.

"Mornin'," she said in a sing-song voice.

Beth couldn't help but grin stupidly at the sight of him with messy hair and lips that were swollen from her kisses and _was that a hickey on his neck_?

Had _she_ done that? That was something that Maggie would do, not Beth. What had gotten into her?

Daryl grunted at her and stretched his arms above his head. She tried not to feel put off and considered the thought that maybe he just wasn't a morning person. He probably felt at rough as she did and the last thing he needed was her chattering away at him if he had a headache as bad as hers.

But the silence felt strange and Beth wanted to hear his voice so she talked at him anyway, wondering if he might say anything back to her.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Beth asked.

Daryl looked at her strangely for a moment as if he thought she might be trying to tease him, but then he nodded his head and Beth reached into the top drawer of the bedside table and grabbed an old nightdress to put on. But as she leaned over, the covers that she had thought were tightly wrapped around her fell loose and exposed her bottom half to him.

Beth would have probably blushed furiously and ran full speed into the next room if she could have done, but she just didn't have the time to think about it because the next thing she knew, Daryl was rolling her over in one swift motion and then he was climbing on top of her and pressing his lips to hers.

His hands were on her ass and he was gripping her so tightly that she knew he would leave bruises, but the feel of his hands on her made her moan into his mouth and that just seemed to spur him on even more.

It usually didn't take much to surprise Beth but seeing this side of Daryl really did. He was always so quiet and almost shy around her but now he seemed so confident and able and Beth wondered if it was just easier for him to express how he was feeling through physical actions instead of words because this was better than any conversation they had ever had.

Beth didn't think much of him leaving his black tee on whilst he pounded into her. The only thing she could actually think of was his name which was falling off her tongue over and over again as his strong movements brought her closer and closer to her own release. Beth swore that it was the sound of him literally growling down her ear that made her cum, but he didn't slow down whilst she rode out the waves of her release.

Instead, his hands moved up to her hips and he held onto her there whilst he carried on thrusting at an impossibly fast pace. Beth was still in a daze when he came deep inside her, her legs twitching and shaking as he mumbled the dirtiest words into her ears.

Daryl lay on top of her for a moment, but then his body heat was gone as he rolled away. He was on his back again and Beth turned her head to face him, still breathing heavily as she looked over his side profile. It took a minute before he turned his head to face her, too; but then he actually _smiled_ at her and Beth beamed at him because of it.

She knew that she was grinning like a little girl on Christmas Day but that was exactly how she felt right now because _Daryl Dixon_ was in her bed and not only had they slept together last night but now they had done it this morning, too, and surely that meant that this wasn't a one-night thing.

"Breakfast?"

He nodded at her question and he let her put her nightdress over her head this time and shimmy into it. It fell to her mid-thigh and it was a little baggy on her slender body, but Beth didn't think that Daryl would mind that none of her pajamas were particularly_ sexy._ Beth had never felt the need to buy anything like that, but now she couldn't help but wish that she had at least taken Maggie's advice and stored _something_ attractive for occasions like this.

She tried not to over think it because Daryl really didn't look like he cared about what she was wearing as he followed behind her wearing nothing but his tee shirt and boxer briefs. Beth headed straight for the kitchen and debated over what to make for them both before settling on pancakes.

Daryl sat on one of the bar-stools at the little breakfast bar and watched as she got to work. Beth wished that she possessed a few more womanly curves so that she could shake her hips a little more as she moved and wouldn't look stupid for doing it because she wanted Daryl to want her again and again and again. But she didn't have big hips or big breasts to show off to him.

Now that she came to think of it, she didn't have much at all to show off when it came to her body. But Daryl didn't seem to mind last night or this morning, so Beth tried her hardest to lock those thoughts away in a box at the back of her mind. She couldn't help but feel a little insecure when she wondered about the women that Daryl had been with before. She doubted any of them were as tiny as her.

Her boobs were always something that had bothered her since she was much younger - they had stopped growing once she got into a B-cup whilst girls like Maggie and Rosita had full, big, bouncy breasts to show off. Boys always seemed to like that about them and Beth didn't resent them for it, but she couldn't help but wish that hers were more like theirs, too.

Then she remembered Daryl sucking on her nipples last night and the way that he grabbed at her breasts with so much desire and want. Beth remembered the way he cursed under his breath as he felt them - things like '_fuck, you're perfect_' and '_shit, so good'_. And how could she ever forget the way he used his mouth on her - kissing and sucking and licking at her breasts as though they were the best things he had ever seen despite their small size.

The memory alone was enough to make her blush and she quickly pushed it away.

"Do you like them?" Beth asked as they both tucked into the chocolate chip pancakes.

Daryl nodded his head as he chewed and Beth smiled a little at that.

"I love cooking and baking," she told him. "I'm always trying new recipes. And I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty good at it, too."

"Y'are?" Daryl teased, the corner of his lips twitching upwards just slightly.

She would have missed it before because she wouldn't have been waiting - watching - for it. But she was ready now and she was looking for something like that because whilst she didn't know Daryl particularly well, she was slowly getting to know him and his mannerisms and she knew that if she didn't watch for little things like that then she wouldn't get any sort of hint as to what he was thinking or feeling.

Beth gasped over-dramatically and feigned annoyance in her features.

"Yes, Mister Dixon, I am," she said. "You should already know that just from these pancakes."

Daryl snorted and shoved in another mouthful.

"They're_ alright_," he told her.

Beth narrowed her eyes at him.

"Maybe better than alright."

He didn't say anything more about it but Beth couldn't wipe the smile from her face as they finished off their breakfast. Once they had eaten and Beth had put the plates into the sink, Daryl told her that he should probably get going and part of her felt a little disappointed at the thought of him leaving her now.

She wondered if he would come back to her place more often or if she would see him again full stop. She wondered if he wouldn't want to talk to her anymore or if he would ignore her and act like none of this had ever happened.

Beth had been bold the night before, but that was because she was drunk and alcohol gave her the confidence boost that she had needed to make the first move. She knew that if she wanted to get anywhere with this man then she would have to make the first move again. But it was difficult without the alcohol buzzing through her and making her feel invincible.

She gulped and tucked her wavy hair behind her ear as Daryl pulled on his shoes and then she was leading him towards the front door and she couldn't help but panic a little bit because what was she going to do?

"Can I have your number?"

She must have sounded so stupid and silly but Daryl nodded his head at her anyway and typed his number into her phone. She dialed it once before hanging up and informed him that now they at least had each other's numbers so he could contact her.

"If you want to," she quickly finished, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"Thanks for breakfast," he told her.

Beth smiled at that and dipped her head a little.

"You're welcome, Daryl. See you soon?"

He nodded his head again - something he seemed to do a lot - and then he was gone.

Beth shut the door behind him and whilst she was a little sad that he was no longer there with her, she also felt incredibly giddy all of a sudden. Beth's hands covered her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from smiling but she just _couldn't_. She laughed a little, feeling like a school girl as she rushed back down the hallway to her bedroom.

Beth wanted nothing more than to jump onto the bed and roll around in the sheets, squealing and laughing and grinning. But she didn't do that, because she was twenty three years old and a _grown woman. _

So Beth calmed herself down and settled at her desk, a faint smile the only hint at her happiness as she got stuck into her revision.

* * *

**I just wanted to say (again and again and again) how thankful I am for the feedback I'm receiving on this story. I went to bed straight after posting Chapter Six last night and woke up to a ton of emails alerting me of reviews/favourites/follows and to think that this story has reached over fifty followers literally blows my mind! I never expected anyone to even read this, never mind actually enjoy it and want to read more, and it's hard to describe the feeling that comes along with that.**

**Reading your reviews is so encouraging and motivating and it's meant that I started writing this chapter almost as soon as I woke up this morning. And I ****_never _****do anything in the morning, so you know... this is a big deal. So I hope you enjoyed it, although it may not have read very well considering I wrote it when I was half awake. **

**In terms of the plot, I have a bit of a plan for this story but nothing that's majorly important or that has to stick in place. A few readers have expressed an interest in an unplanned pregnancy - is this something a few of you would be interested in? I'll admit that it wasn't the route I was going to take with this and that it hadn't crossed my mind but I see why a few of you might think that I was going to explore that option. But like I said, I don't have a set-in-stone plan for this story and I'm more than open to ideas and suggestions and if there is anywhere you would like me to go with this then please let me know and I'll see what I can do.**

**I think that's everything covered that I wanted to say. So thank you again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review to let me know what you think so far.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all so much for your feedback on the last chapter and this story as a whole. I really love the Bethyl fandom.**

** Enjoy!**

* * *

Beth couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she walked up the steps to the farmhouse where her father was stood waiting for her on the porch. He was smiling, too, and Beth wasn't sure she had ever seen him look so _proud. _

"Congratulations, Bethy," Hershel said as he pulled her in for a hug.

She had done it - she had graduated.

Her ceremony wasn't for a few more weeks yet, but it was official; she had finished her degree and she was going to be a nurse. Just a few days before, Carol had even offered her a full-time job at the hospital and Beth had been so surprised and genuinely relieved to know that she would be working soon that she almost cried. Almost.

When Carol realised how shocked she was, she had furrowed her brows and shook her head and told the younger girl that for someone so smart, she sure was stupid because she should have known she would be keeping the job.

"_After all, you're a student and you're better than some of the full time nurses we have here. How could I not employ you, Miss Greene?"_

She was astonished that Carol was being so nice to her - the woman was quite stern with the students and whilst she was always polite, she was never overly friendly, either. Beth wasn't sure that she had ever complimented her before and then she was saying this to her like she was just supposed to know that Carol thought she was a half decent nurse. But Beth wasn't a mind reader and Carol didn't give much away, so how was she to know?

She had dared to imagine that she might get offered a job working at the hospital and she had constantly worked hard to leave a good impression on everyone she worked with - patients and professionals alike. But she had never considered the fact that it might actually happen and when it did, she had absolutely no idea how to react. Beth had been so happy and excited that she squealed and shocked them both by jumping up from her seat and hugging Carol with all her might.

Carol hadn't returned the hug at first - a little shocked at Beth's behaviour - but then she had patted her back and told her that she should be proud of herself and that she deserved it. And Beth thanked her for the opportunity and swore that she wouldn't regret it.

After her father released her from his grip, Beth walked into the farm house and was greeted almost instantly with another hug - this time from her mother. Beth laughed as Annette started gushing at her that she couldn't believe it - her youngest daughter was all grown up and independent now.

Beth just laughed as her mama released her from her firm grip and she reminded Annette that she had been living on her own for what felt like forever now. The older woman gave her a look and brushed off what Beth had said and told her that it was different because she was _working_ now and actually earning a wage that she could live off on her own without the help of her parents.

Maggie was the next one to congratulate her, kissing her little sister on the cheek and telling her that she was so proud and now she felt old because Beth couldn't be a baby anymore if she was working. Shawn however seemed to disagree entirely and proceeded to call her 'squirt' (he knew she hated that term) and his way of congratulating her was by telling her that he was expecting discounted health care from now on.

Annette cooked dinner to celebrate. Beth insisted that her mother didn't have to go to all of the effort that she did, but Annette simply shook her head and told her daughter that this was one of the proudest days of her life and why on earth would she not go above and beyond when it came to celebrating such a_ special_ day?

After everyone had eaten, her daddy led the way into the lounge, but Maggie and Beth stayed behind in the kitchen where they volunteered to do the washing up.

"How's things with Glenn?" Beth asked as she soaked the first plate in hot water.

Maggie shrugged, waiting with a tea towel in her hands to dry off the dishes with. This was a routine that they had had for years - one of them (usually Beth) washed up whilst the other dried.

"Same as yesterday," Maggie told her with a smile.

"Has he heard back from Rick yet?"

Glenn had _always_ worked at his parents pizza place but the money wasn't great and he and Maggie were talking about saving up for their own house, so Glenn had decided (with Maggie's influence) to try and find a better paid job.

When he first mentioned it to her, he told her that he wasn't sure what he wanted to do because he had always thought that he would just take over the family business. Beth remembered how Glenn and Tara were such good friends and then she got thinking about the fact that maybe Glenn could try and get on the police force with her.

At first, both Maggie and Glenn had laughed at the suggestion. Glenn wasn't exactly fighting fit - before Maggie, he had lived on his parents take away pizza - and he preferred playing video games to going to the gym. But Beth knew that Glenn's grades had always been high and that what he lacked in physical strength was made up for in his mental capabilities and that with a bit of training and healthy eating, he'd probably make a really good officer.

So one evening Beth had been babysitting Judith, she took the opportunity to mention to Rick that her sister's boyfriend was interested in becoming a police officer and how would he go about doing that and what would he need to get an interview? She had already memorised most of Glenn's grades and casually dropped them to Rick who had been more than interested in meeting him and arranged an interview with him a few days later.

Glenn had been appreciative of Beth's help and was currently waiting to hear back on the results of that interview.

"Not yet," Maggie said. "But he did tell him that it would probably be sometime next week."

Beth nodded her head at that and passed a dish to Maggie to dry.

"How are things with you and Dixon?" Maggie said.

Beth's blue eyes widened and she shushed her sister, looking around to make sure that none of the other members of her family were within hearing distance of their conversation.

It wasn't that Beth was embarrassed or ashamed. Her daddy had always been protective and her mother was sweet and nice to everyone. She knew that none of them would judge her - even if they had heard stories about Daryl from around town - but she wasn't sure that she was exactly ready to tell them about him yet.

After all, they weren't exactly_ serious._ In fact, they weren't exactly anything. Sure, she had slept with him, but since that night they had only shared a few texts and a couple of phone calls, but it was nothing serious. Beth had wanted nothing more than to see him again and she had been pleasantly surprised to receive a text from him asking when she was free and if she wanted to go out sometime. But she had been busy with her exams and had told him that whilst she would love to go out, it would have to wait until she graduated.

Daryl had messaged her earlier on that day to briefly congratulate her on graduating. His text had read '_Congratulations, Beth_' - short, sweet and simple, but it had made her happier than anyone else's grand words of support.

She had quickly learned that Daryl was straight to the point and she didn't mind that - respected it, even. Beth had replied to his message with a 'thank you' and had informed him that she was now free for him to take out whenever he pleased.

She was still waiting for his reply.

"Be quiet," Beth hissed. "You know I don't wanna tell anyone."

Maggie rolled her eyes.

"You shouldn't keep secrets from family."

"Doesn't sneaking off out of your window every night of your senior year to meet up with your boyfriends count as keeping secrets?"

Maggie narrowed her eyes at that, but didn't say anything.

"Besides, I'm not necessarily keeping a_ secret._ I just don't want anyone gettin' all excited about somethin' when there's nothin' to be excited about."

Maggie gave her sister a look that said she knew better and Beth huffed.

"You ain't foolin' anyone, Bethy," Maggie said. "I'm pretty sure daddy and mama can see right through ya."

Beth passed her sister another dish to dry and tried her hardest not to think anything of it. Was she really being that obvious? She had always found it difficult to keep things from her family. Her mama especially always seemed to know if something was going on with one of her children, but her daddy was pretty good at guessing things like that, too.

Beth wondered if they knew that she was hiding something from them.

The trouble with living in such a small town was that word got around, and word got around _fast_. A part of her wouldn't be surprised if one of her mama's nosy friends from church had heard about who little Beth Greene had left the bar with and had gone on to tell her mother that she had been seen going home with none other than Daryl Dixon.

Beth was no angel, but that didn't mean that she wanted her mama and daddy knowing that. She was more than happy with them thinking that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"So," Maggie pressed. "How are things?"

"Not too interesting," Beth sighed as she soaked the last plate. "He text me this morning to say congratulations."

"He remembered?" Maggie asked, sounding a little surprised.

Beth nodded her head yes. She didn't want to admit that she had been a little shocked that he had remembered, either. After all, she had only mentioned it in passing; she didn't expect him to remember things like that about her.

But he did, and surely that had to count for something.

Maggie hadn't liked the idea of Daryl at first. She had warned her sister that Daryl was trouble with a capital T and that she needed to stay away from him - and she had meant it, too. Beth recalled how furious she had been with Maggie for being so ignorant and over-protective of her and she had decided not to mention that she had seen him again in the hospital.

Beth didn't think that it mattered and would have probably told her sister about bumping into him had she not found out from Carol that the reason Merle was left without one of his hands was because he had cut if off himself whilst he was escaping from the police who had arrested him for possessing Class B drugs with the intent to sell them.

At the bar, Beth had been honest with her intentions of sharing a taxi home with Daryl to Maggie. She had expected her sister to put up more of a fight about it - especially considering how drunk she was and the fact that she more often that not loved to cause a scene - but then again, she had been so caught up in Glenn that she didn't really have time to worry about what her sister was up to. Beth remembered how Maggie had tried her best to shoot Daryl an intimidating look but in the end she gave in and didn't put up much of a fight, only choosing to advise Beth to 'be careful with that one'.

Maggie had been a little judgmental about her sister's antics and Beth had tried her hardest to keep most of what happened between them private, but Maggie was such a _nag _about it and constantly wanted details. Beth couldn't wrap her head around it - she wanted nothing more in the world for Maggie not to tell her the ins and outs of her sex life, but Maggie always insisted on doing it anyway and insisted that Beth told her the ins and outs of hers, too.

Beth just blushed and kept the details to a minimum and let her sister's mind fill in the nooks and crannies of it all. At the end of the day, Maggie really didn't need to know how good of a kisser Daryl was or how long he lasted or how big he was. Even if she thought that she did.

Her sister had made it clear that she was sure this was a one night thing that they had shared (Beth didn't tell her that they went again in the morning and that that fact alone kind of made it not a one night arrangement) and that Beth shouldn't get her hopes up, even if they had exchanged numbers, because Daryl was Daryl Dixon and he would probably pick another girl up next weekend and forget about pretty Beth Greene, the farmer's daughter and trainee nurse who shacked up with him one night at her apartment.

Maggie's words had stung and Beth was quick to admit that the probably bothered her more than they should have, but she was so happy when he got in touch with her and she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit smug that things were working in her favor and that her sister had been wrong about him.

"I told him I'm free to see him whenever now," Beth said, feeling a little foolish as she told her sister. "But he's not texted back. Do you think I sound too... _keen_?"

Maggie looked thoughtful as she rinsed off the last dish and didn't say anything as Beth pulled the plug out of the sink, letting the water drain.

"No," Maggie finally said. "No, because he told you to let him know when you were free. It's not like you just threw it out there at him. He's probably busy working." Beth nodded her head at that. "What did you say he does again?"

"Daryl's a mechanic," Beth said.

"So he's busy working with his hands. He can't exactly keep texting you all day."

Beth supposed she agreed with her sister and sighed as she took the towel from her so that she could dry off her hands.

"You're right," Beth said. "I'm just getting ahead of myself now."

"I know," Maggie told her, leading the way into the lounge where the rest of the family were gathered. "Just chill out. It'll happen when it happens."

* * *

Beth was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing underneath her pillow. She rubbed her eyes and struggled to grab it, answering it quickly before it could cut off and not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?" she mumbled groggily, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hey."

Beth jumped awake at the sound of Daryl's voice. She pulled her phone away from her ear to check that it was definitely him who was calling because she was still half asleep and it was definitely a possibility that it was Maggie or Rosita calling and she was imagining it to be his voice.

But then she saw his name on the screen and she couldn't help but smile. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as she got home from the farmhouse, partly because she was exhausted from all of the hard work she had been doing recently and also because of the fact that she was absolutely stuffed from her mother's wonderful cooking. Beth wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew that Daryl wouldn't call her too late because he had work early almost every day himself.

"Did I wake you?"

Daryl was chuckling and Beth couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"No..." she began, before laughing a little sheepishly. "Yes. I mean, yes, you did wake me. But it's alright."

"It's only quarter to ten..." he mumbled, sounding a little unsure. "Sorry. I thought you'd be awake. I'll let you -"

"No," she cut him off quickly, knowing already what he was about to say. "No, please don't. It's fine, honestly. If I go back to sleep now then I'll only end up waking up at a stupid time in the middle of the night."

"Alright," he said.

"So," Beth began. "Any reason you called?"

She could practically hear Daryl shrugging his shoulders on the other end of the line.

"Jus'... I was gonna see when you wanted to do somethin', that's all."

"Really?" Beth said.

He chuckled at that.

"Don't sound so surprised," he told her.

"I'm not _surprised_," she said, exaggerating the last word. "I'm just... I don't know. Don't ask."

"Alright," he said, sounding a little unsure now.

_He thinks I'm crazy._

"Well, erm... Now that I think about it, I start work next Monday. Technically my work week starts on a Sunday, but I'm somehow managing to get weekends off as part of my contract."

"That's a pretty good deal," Daryl said. "I get weekends off, too."

"So maybe... this Saturday?" Beth hoped she didn't sound too hopeful.

Daryl didn't say anything for a few seconds and Beth was sure that her heart was going to break out of her chest it was pounding that hard.

_Maybe she was being too forward, making plans too soon and maybe he wanted to leave it a bit longer and -_

"Sounds good."

Beth breathed a little easier at that.

"OK, Daryl," she said. "I guess I'll see you Saturday. What do you want to do?"

He was quiet on the other end of the line again and Beth was curious as she waited for his response.

"How 'bout you leave it with me," he told her. "An' I'll let you know sometime this week."

"OK," she agreed.

"Well," Daryl said. "Better get goin'. I've got work first thing. I'll speak to you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Beth said, smiling a little. "I'll see you soon. Goodnight, Daryl."

"G'night, Beth."

* * *

**I'm not a big fan of writing phone conversations because of just how much dialogue is involved but I hope I managed to pull this off and it didn't seem like too much speaking in the second part of this chapter.**

**I think I've decided against the unplanned pregnancy idea for now. I've had a lot of people encouraging me to go down that route and a few readers who think the idea is a little overdone and I kind of agree on that. As well, it wasn't where I originally saw myself going with this story so I'm not going to go through with it for now and I'm going to stick to exploring Beth and Daryl's relationship without throwing a spanner into the works so soon. **

**A few readers have also expressed an interest in perhaps having a planned pregnancy later on - is this something more of you would be interested in? It seems a lot of people like the idea of a Bethyl baby and I can't say I don't know why. That would have been _amazing._**

**I also just wanted to say that if you have any suggestions/requests about possible routes that this story could take then let me know. I've said before that I don't have a structured, set-in-stone plan for this story because I wanted to be pretty flexible with it and just write whatever comes to me at the time. So if anyone has any ideas please feel free to let me know.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know your thoughts! **


	9. Chapter 9

**I love reading all of your reviews. You are all such little darlings and are so kind to me. I can't thank you enough and your positive words are so encouraging and motivating and make me just want to sit here and write this story all day. **

**I finish my first year of University next week and I have a lot of assignment work to do but thankfully I've thought ahead and written the next few chapters. I've uploaded them as documents and once I'm happy with them I'll post them on here. I love hearing what you think of this story and what your ideas for it are and that always influences what I write and that's actually the reason that I don't want to post chapter after chapter straight away - I want to see how you all take it and what you say you would like to see next and that has a big impact on where I go with the next chapter.**

**This chapter is from Daryl's POV so I'm giving you a language warning in advance in case anyone is offended by that sort of stuff. I really struggled with this chapter because I'm much more comfortable writing from Beth's POV, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. Plus, the last two chapters have been from Beth's POV again so I thought that it was probably about time I did Daryl's again. **

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter more than I enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

Saturday came around quicker than he thought it would. Work and his brother's antics usually kept him busy during the week and he never really looked forward to the weekends unless he was going hunting, and whilst he didn't want to admit to himself that he was _excited _about his date with Beth, he definitely felt something towards it.

Daryl had been true to his word and messaged Beth earlier on in the week to let her know that he would pick her up at seven, but that their date as a whole was a surprise. At the time it had been because he still hadn't decided what he was going to do and he was still worrying a little about it now as he got himself dressed. She had seemed excited - actually, the text had said that she '_couldn't wait_' - and Daryl supposed that was at least a good sign.

He still didn't know Beth very well but he had already noticed how open she was about all of her feelings and thoughts and he wondered if she expected him to be the same with her. He hadn't really had a girlfriend before; choosing to shy away from ideas of commitment and closeness and instead using women to scratch an itch he had every now and again. But things with Beth were already different and Daryl knew what she probably wanted him to be - romantic and charming and someone who actually talked in general, never mind about their feelings - but he just couldn't do it.

He wasn't good with women; never had been, probably never would be. Merle always knew what to do and what to say. His brother was awfully good at chatting to anyone and was known around town for being a loud mouth, but Daryl had always been much more quiet and reserved. He never knew the right things to say and he was no good at reading the signals that women gave him, either; so he figured that most of the time it was best not to say anything at all.

In his mind, that was the only way not to fuck things up, and it had worked for him so far. He had made it into his thirties with only a couple of slaps across the face from drunken females in bars or women who were offended when he kicked them out of his house. But now Beth was here and Daryl couldn't help but be interested in everything about her.

Sure, she had been a cuddler and he had never been interesting in cuddling before but that night, he actually didn't mind and for some reason, he had gone along with it. And then he had never been much of a talker and she talked so damn much and but instead of that annoying him, he actually found himself _wanting _to talk to Beth.

He wanted to tell her everything and anything but he didn't know the right way to say it - he wasn't good at wording things without offending people and he knew he didn't want to offend Beth. He found himself wanting to tell her everything that he thought and felt about her, but feelings were never something Daryl had been encouraged to share. From a young age, he'd had it drilled into him that feelings were for pussies and that he was a _Dixon_, for Christ's sake.

Most people in town probably thought that Daryl didn't have any feelings. But it wasn't true; he felt _everything_ and he had never wanted anyone to know that before - preferred that they thought he was some emotionless hick who only knew how to feel angry and frustrated and _drunk_ \- but he decided that he wanted Beth to know.

Daryl wanted her to know that he thought that her hair was so _pretty, _especially when she wore it down. Or that her smile was just so damn perfect and that he would probably do anything - rob a bank, jump from a cliff, maybe even punch himself in the balls - to get her to smile. Or that he thought her ass was just so _tight_ and he really, _really_ loved the way that it felt in his hands and that he thought that as far as kissing went, she was a pro and...

God, he was fucked.

But Daryl wanted to be good for Beth. Of _course _he wanted to fuck her but he had already done that and thought that maybe she would leave his mind alone once the deed was done but instead she was still here two weeks later, bouncing around like she truly belonged there and he just couldn't shake her. So he didn't just want to fuck her anymore. Now, he couldn't help himself - he wanted to do nice things for Beth, and he had never been interested in sappy shit anyway so he didn't know where to start but he knew that for her, he had to at least_ try._

So he had struggled with the idea of what to do for her all week. He had even debated asking his brother for some suggestions now that he was out of hospital and back to his usual antics, but Daryl had quickly decided against that. Merle wasn't as useless as everyone thought he was and sure, he was loud and obnoxious and pretty arrogant, but he was still his brother and even if nobody else could see that Merle wasn't too terrible, Daryl could.

It wasn't the fact that Merle wouldn't give Daryl some good ideas. Actually, Daryl would admit that Merle probably had more than just a few tricks up his sleeve that he would more than happily share with his little brother. But Daryl couldn't stand the thought of his brother's smug face if he went to him asking for advice with_ girls_.

How old was he, fifteen?

And he didn't want Merle to know about Beth. Not yet. He already knew he was going to have the shit ripped out of him about it and he would rather wait until his brother absolutely just had to know about her until he told her. Daryl told himself that there was no point yet. They hadn't even made it on their first date yet anyway and if she ended up standing him up or pissing him off and Merle knew about it, he would never live it down. So he thought that it was probably best that - at least for now - Merle was kept in the dark about him and Beth Greene.

* * *

Daryl lived about a fifteen minute drive from the center of town, but in the opposite direction to Beth's apartment, so he set off from his house at dead on half past six. He was going to buy her some flowers because he was sure that girls liked that, too, but when he went to the florist he thought it was kind of a shame that she would have them for a few days and then she would have to throw them away.

It didn't make sense to him - seemed more of a waste, than anything - so he bought her a plant instead.

Karen, the woman who owned the florist, seemed nice enough. She told him all about the different plants and he ended up settling on one that had a fancy name that he couldn't pronounce and that sat in a big green plant pot that was actually pretty heavy. Karen had said that it wouldn't grow_ too_ tall and that flowers would sprout from it eventually, so long as it was kept watered and fed, and Daryl just knew that Beth would take good enough care of it to see those flowers grow and he thought that growing her own was a much better idea than just buying a bunch of them that would just _die._

He had debated taking his motorbike, but then he didn't know how Beth would feel about riding it and he also wasn't too sure how he would carry the damn plant pot if he rode it. So he chose to take his truck instead and wasted no time setting off.

Daryl pulled up outside of Beth's apartment block ten minutes early. She lived in a nice enough area of town. He remembered that her apartment was small, but it was big enough for just her.

He had worked long enough to save a deposit for a house and had bought his own a while ago so was paying a mortgage instead of renting like she was. Daryl's home was bigger than hers with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but it wasn't anything particularly special or fancy, either. It wasn't huge - just a standard house that he thought would suit him for the rest of his life so that he would never have to bother with moving - and it was close enough to the woods that he could go hunting whenever he pleased without having to treck too far from home. And it was out of the way of town, which meant that it was further out of the way of people.

All in all, it was a good fit for him, and Daryl wanted to invite her to his own place one day but he was suddenly conscious of how _bare_ it was inside and he was almost embarrassed about that. Beth had picture frames and decorations all over her walls and he had nothing of the sort. Even his sheets and pillows were a plain navy color. There was nothing fancy about his place and he doubted that she would feel comfortable there.

He knocked a little awkwardly and waited until Beth opened the door for him. The first thing she did was beam at him. Daryl felt a little uncomfortable because she was always smiling at him like he was the best person in the world and he knew all too well that he wasn't, but he didn't want to be the one to tell her that and wipe that damn smile from her face.

So for now, he let her look at him like he was something special and he felt like a bit of an idiot holding that stupid plant, but she looked at it and then back up at him and he hadn't thought that she could smile any brighter or any wider but then she did.

"For me?"

Daryl nodded his head once that yes, the plant was for her and Beth took it so carefully from him as though it might break despite being very much settled in that big green pot. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, thanking him and telling him that she loved it and that she was going to place it on her kitchen windowsill right away.

Beth told him to follow her inside, so he shut the front door behind him and strolled down the hallway towards the kitchen. Daryl declined her offer of a drink and his blue eyes took in her attire for the first time as she bent forward and stood on her tiptoes to place the plant on her windowsill.

Daryl felt a little guilty for watching her struggle, but she looked so _good_ doing it and he couldn't take his eyes away from her. Not yet.

Her hair was down but she hadn't straightened it today, leaving it to flow down her back in loose waves that reminded him of the beach and the sun and sand. She was wearing a light yellow summery dress that stopped just above her knee and he thought that it made her waist look impossibly small. The dress was light and loose and it twirled around as she walked about her kitchen, explaining to him that she would only be a minute because she was just looking for her shoes.

But Daryl could hardly concentrate on what she was saying as she finally found the white ballet flats and placed them on her feet and then put on a white cardigan to match because the whole time she was finishing off getting ready, all he could think about was the fact that he wanted nothing more than to hoist her up against the sink and pull that damned dress up to her waist and pound into her fast and _hard_. He wanted to hear her moaning his name again because he had never heard anything so perfect in his life and -

"Are you ready?"

Daryl swallowed and nodded his head.

"Yeah," he told her. "Let's get goin'."

Beth smiled at him whilst he waited for her as she locked up her apartment, tucking her keys into the brown handbag she had brought with her.

"_So_," she said as they walked down the stairs of the apartment block. "What exactly do you have planned for us, Mister Dixon?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes at the name. He was never sure if he liked when she called him that. She wasn't that much younger than him, really; but sometimes he remembered that she really was younger and the name itself just made him feel so _old. _After all, she had literally only just finished her years in education when school was something he hadn't even thought about in such a long time. She was only now entering the world of work, and that was a world that he had been involved in since before he even turned eighteen.

At one point, Daryl had even thought that Beth was quite innocent; but that had been before she took him home that night after the bar and showed him just how much of a woman she really was.

But then again, she seemed to like calling him that and he supposed that if it was something that she liked, then he didn't mind it all that much. It even sort of sounded a little dirty when she said it in a certain tone and Daryl wondered if she knew all of the ways that she tortured him.

After thinking about it for a minute, he decided that _surely_ she must know because nobody had ever been able to get this sort of reaction from him and she just did it so well and so effortlessly. Beth had probably broken dozens of hearts before and Daryl wondered if she would do the same to him.

"Told you," he said, smirking a little as he held the door to his truck open for her. Beth smiled appreciatively up at him (it was times like these that he realised just how small she was) before hopping in. "It's a _surprise_."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and please review to let me know what you think of this chapter/story. **


	10. Chapter 10

**I've FINALLY gotten round to replying to all of your reviews. I don't know if that's something that you all like or if you find it annoying or whatever but either way it's something I've been saying I'll do since I was kindly informed by a few of you how to do it so I supposed that it was time I actually did. **

**I know I've said it a gazzilion times but thank you all so much for taking the time to review my story and your feedback is always so positive and always makes me smile. All of you are such wonderful little flowers and I wish I could give each of you a big hug. **

**OK, so this is a _bit _of a longer chapter and the next one is, too. I hope it's not too long. I don't really know what happened here to be honest. ****I guess Bethyl first dates get me a little excited.**

**This chapter also comes with a smut warning, so if you don't like that sort of stuff then I suggest you stop reading after the first part.**

**For the rest of you smut loving creatures, enjoy!**

* * *

Beth had been looking forward to her date with Daryl all week - she had even told him so - and she couldn't help but smile as he drove them to wherever it was that he was taking them. Beth had made an effort to dress _nice_ \- not too fancy, but also not too casual, either - because she wasn't sure what the plan was for the evening since Daryl had insisted that it was a surprise and she didn't want to feel either under or over-dressed.

But Daryl was dressed in his typical blue jeans and a red and blue flannel shirt and her curiosity continued to peak as he drove them further and further away from her apartment. Beth thought that Daryl was a good driver and he didn't even get that angry when other cars cut him up or when another driver was plain stupid. Beth knew better than to listen to the stories that people in town told but she couldn't un-hear them, and she wondered why everyone had this idea that Daryl was such an angry person. He was actually really laid back and pretty calm.

And Daryl was quiet - he was always quiet - but Beth didn't feel the need to fill the drive with awkward small talk about work and the weather. Instead, she sang along to the radio and she caught him looking over at her a few times. Every time he did, she offered him her best smile.

Her mama had always told her that she was far too caught up in her own mind, but Beth had never paid much attention to it until now. She had been thinking about all of the places that Daryl could be taking her and what he might have planned and then the truck came to a halt and Daryl was unfastening his seat belt and it was only then that Beth realised that they were surrounded by nothing but trees and bushes.

She frowned out of her window before spinning her head back to him.

"We're in the woods?" she asked. Daryl just nodded his head. Beth bit her bottom lip as she unfastened her own belt, a little hesitant as she did so.

"You're not... gonna _kill_ me or anything, are you?"

Daryl laughed at that - not even just a chuckle, an actual _laugh_ \- and Beth relaxed. She didn't think that he would do something like that to her; not really, but she was aware of the fact that she really didn't know this man very well and although she ignored the stories that the people in town told of him, she had to admit that while the whole bad-boy persona thing that he had going on was pretty interesting and hot_,_ it was also a _little bit_ intimidating.

"Nah," he said, smiling a little. "I'm not gonna kill ya."

"Good," Beth breathed, shutting the car door once she had climbed down. In the time it took her to hop down and shut the door, Daryl had made his way around to her side and was standing in front of her with his arms across his chest. "'Cause I actually like bein' alive, you know."

Daryl snorted and motioned with his head for her to follow him. Beth's white flats weren't exactly in pristine condition anyway so she didn't mind as they strolled through the leaves and the dirt, her curiosity completely taking over as she followed him through the forest.

They were only walking for a few minutes until she saw it. Daryl wasn't looking at her and didn't say anything as he made his way over towards it, but Beth's heart was suddenly drumming loudly in her chest and she stopped walking for a few seconds just to take it all in.

She hadn't realised that they had been walking up a hill because the incline wasn't that noticeable until you were actually up at the top. The view was amazing and Beth could see far out into the distance of the forest and she could see the city lights twinkling so far away. The sun was still setting in the sky so it wasn't dark yet, but it was getting there, and Daryl had lit a few lanterns and placed them in some of the trees so that they wouldn't be sitting in complete darkness.

A tent had been set up - not exactly a huge one, but big enough for the both of them to sit in together and have enough room to walk around in, too. The top of the hill was flat and long and wide and he had pitched it almost right at the edge where the fall looked awfully steep, but Beth wasn't scared at all. Blankets were spread out across the floor around the tent and there was wood placed in front of them and Beth stood there frozen as she watched Daryl start to light the fire.

He kept his back to her the whole time that he set up the fire and then he disappeared into the tent for a moment. Daryl re-emerged a few seconds later with a big basket in his hands, and it was the first time that he made eye contact with her.

He gave her a puzzled expression.

"Watcha doin', girl?" he asked, and Beth snapped out of the spell she had been under. He placed the basket onto the floor in the middle of the blankets that he had set out.

"You comin' over here or wha'?"

Beth grinned at his gruff attitude. She knew from the way that he was acting that Daryl was a little bit shy about all of this and it was clear for her to see that he was so unsure about everything. Beth couldn't help but wonder if he had ever done anything like this before.

This was the best first date she had ever been on and it hadn't even properly started yet. Nobody had ever gone to such trouble to make an effor for her before and she couldn't help but feel a little bit in awe of the man who was now crouched down beside the basket, pulling things out from inside it and placing them carefully onto the blankets.

Beth looked around her once more and grabbed her phone from her purse, snapping a quick picture of the scene in front of her before she rushed over to him, a stupid smile plastered across her face the whole way over.

Daryl had his back to her again as he was unwrapping what she could now see were plates of food, but she knew that he could probably hear her hurried footsteps coming from a mile away. Beth wasn't the most graceful or careful person in the world, and she had noticed that every movement of his was so swift and quick and quiet.

Not at all like her own movements, which were more loud and clumsy. Beth had always had a bad habit of falling into things and banging into things and tripping over her own feet.

"This is so beautiful," Beth said to him, noticing the little stream that ran not too far from where their tent was pitched. "How did you find this place?"

"Found it a while ago," he told her, shrugging his shoulders. "Like to come 'ere when I go huntin'."

"You hunt?"

She didn't know that about him and Daryl just nodded his head as he finished unwrapping the food. Beth wasn't sure what it was but she thought that it smelled delicious and she was suddenly all too aware of how hungry she was.

"Hungry?" he asked, turning his head around over his shoulder so that he could look up to where she was stood behind him.

Beth didn't have chance to respond to that because just as she was opening her mouth to insist that she wasn't exactly starving but she could definitely eat, her stomach gave her away and growled loudly. She was a little embarrassed at first but the sound made Daryl smile and Beth couldn't help but laugh at her own expense.

"Take that as a yes," he said, grabbing two paper plates and plastic cutlery from inside the basket. "Didn't know what you like, so I made a few things."

Beth smiled appreciatively and walked around the blankets and sat cross-legged across from him. She looked at all of the food before her and back at Daryl and then couldn't help but grin. There was meat and fruit and vegetables and bread and he had even brought them drinks and two big bags of assorted chocolates and sweets and looking at it all, she suddenly felt very overwhelmed.

Daryl had clearly gone to so much effort to bring her here and not only show her this place that was beautiful enough anyway, but to then cook this food and prepare it all for her...

Plus, there was something a little bit amusing about the image of Daryl cooking food. She couldn't put her finger on exactly why she found it funny - after all, he was over thirty years old and lived alone in his own house. Beth knew that he wouldn't exactly live on take-away food like Glenn, but at the same time it was still weird to think about him being so... _domestic._

"This is amazing," she told him as she tucked into her food. "Thank you."

Daryl was busy plating his own up and just shrugged his shoulders at her.

"Ain't nothin'," he told her.

A memory of those words came back to her so suddenly and it felt like it had been so long ago since that night. She couldn't help but smile a little bit at the thought of that night.

"Thank you anyway, Daryl."

He looked up at her from where he was leaning across to grab at some bread and then he was suddenly frozen solid. Beth knew from his expression that he must have remembered, too - he had to remember, because if he didn't then why would he be looking at her like that?

_"Thank you so, so much," she had told him._

_"Ain't nothin'," he said, and Beth beamed at him in response.._

_"Thank you anyway, Daryl," she had said. He gave her a strange expression and she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks when she realised that he hadn't introduced himself to her._

_"I'm Beth. We don't... We've never met or anything. And I'm not a creepy stalker, I just... I've heard - I mean, I know your name from around town, and I..."_

When his lips twitched upwards in a little smile, Beth knew that he remembered. Of _course_ he remembered.

And she couldn't help but smile back at him, too.

* * *

Daryl had told Beth that he had brought the tent for her, just in case she got cold, and she wondered if he had remembered from the night that they had shared a few weeks before that she was just a cold person in general.

Even if he didn't, Beth couldn't help but notice how thoughtful he was because it was more than obvious that he wouldn't be the one getting cold - the man was like a radiator and Beth wondered how he was always so warm.

After they had eaten, they had talked for what must have been hours. Well, Beth had done most of the talking and Daryl had mostly listened; occasionally answering her questions when she asked them or commented on the things she was saying when she paused for him to. But it worked for them and Beth wondered if she was boring him with her talking, but Daryl always looked interested in whatever it was she was saying, so she guessed she wasn't annoying him that much.

It wasn't awkward at all - they had laughed together and Daryl had even shared a few stories of his own with her. Not many, but enough for her to feel like she was really starting to get to know him on a different level to what other people did. They shared a few kisses inside the tent and then Beth had suddenly had the best idea and insisted that they take the blankets into the bed of his truck and stargaze from it.

Daryl had chuckled at her and tugged at her hair playfully, muttering loudly enough for her to hear that she was '_like something from a damn romance novel_', but he did as she pleased anyway. Beth thought that if he really didn't want to do it then he would have point-blank refused and took his teasing comments on the chin.

"Don't they make you feel so _small?_" she asked him.

They were both lay flat on their backs in the bed of his truck, some blankets underneath them and then the thickest blanket was draped over them. The forest was silent except for the occasional hoot of an owl or the chirping of the crickets, and had Daryl told her that they seemed louder than usual because tonight was a particularly warm night.

Beth had scoffed at him and pressed her hands to his bicep, laughing as he flinched at her cold touch.

He had shared quite a few facts with her about the forest and the animals in it and Beth had asked him how he was so educated about it all. Daryl had seemed a little bit uncomfortable with the question at first and didn't share much with her when it came to answering it, choosing only to tell her that he had developed it through experience because he had spent so much time in the woods when he was younger.

Whilst he hadn't told her much, Beth did know that the story of his childhood wasn't a happy one. Daryl hadn't really talked about his parents at all; just telling her that his mother had died in a house fire (that fact she already knew from the stories about the Dixon's) and that his dad was '_one mean son of a bitch_' (she already knew that, too).

She couldn't help but want to know more about him and his past. Beth was curious by nature and always had been, but her daddy had taught her how to be patient and calm and considerate, and she would wait patiently until Daryl was ready to tell her more about his youth.

"Guess so," he said in answer to her question.

Beth was quiet for another moment as she looked up into the sky. It was so much clearer out here in the woods than it was in town. Beth used to enjoy stargazing on the roof of the stables at her daddy's farm, but even there the sky wasn't as clear as it was in the middle of the forest. The stars were out in full force and were blazing brighter than she had ever seen before.

"Do you believe in aliens?"

Daryl full on laughed at that and didn't stop for a while. Beth bit back a smile and reached her hand over to smack him playfully on the chest.

"I'm being serious."

His laughter died down and he turned his head towards her. Beth didn't look away from the nights sky, still amazed by the amount of stars she could see from deep within the woods, but she could see him staring at her from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah," he told her after a minute, his eyes never moving away from her direction.

Beth's lips turned upwards in a little smile.

"Me, too," she said, finally turning her head so that her blue eyes met with his.

They were much closer to one another than they were when they first came and lay down in the truck. Their close proximity wasn't just on her part, either - they had both been nudging closer to the other for some time now. Their arms were now brushing against each other and their noses were almost touching and Beth wondered if he was going to kiss her again, because she honestly wouldn't mind it at all if he did.

"Too big for there not to be," he told her, his voice low.

Beth nodded her head at that.

"Yeah," she agreed, not breaking eye contact with him. "That's what I think, too."

Daryl stared at her for another moment longer before he edged his face closer towards hers. Beth was ready and waiting for his touch and she only closed her eyes when she felt one of his hands cup her face. Daryl's thumb danced forwards and backwards across her cheek and Beth wanted to hum at the feeling but she didn't get chance because he was kissing her.

It was chaste and delicate at first, but Beth didn't have to wait long until his tongue was sliding between her lips to bump against hers. Daryl kissed her at a lazy speed that she went along with happily.

The kisses they had shared after the bar were rushed and filled with lust and desire and heat, but the kisses that they were experiencing now were about exploring each other. The kiss was passionate but in a different way, and Beth couldn't help but feel like it was so much more intimate like this.

At some point, Beth had rolled herself on top of him and Daryl's hands were holding her hips for a while. But then they were sliding underneath her dress and he was running his fingers up and down her thighs and over her ass and he they both groaned when he grabbed her with both of his big hands.

Beth needed the friction and she couldn't help but rub herself against him. She popped open the top few buttons of his shirt and then the rest undid quite easily, giving her access to his bare chest. Beth ran her fingers over it and marveled at his abs, wondering when on _earth_ he had the time to work out because if it wasn't obvious by his arms that he did, it was definitely obvious by his toned stomach.

She was greedy and whilst Daryl seemed more than content with kissing her and palming her ass, she could't help but want _more_. Her hands slip down his chest and she fumbled with the buckle of his belt, glad to see the back of it once she had managed to undo it. Beth wasted no time in tugging down his jeans and Daryl lifted his hips a little to help her pull them down, pushing himself harder against her core as he did so.

Beth broke their kiss so that she could tug his boxers down and then she was taking him in her hand and pumping up and down at a steady rhythm. Daryl hissed and cursed and Beth thought to herself that they really needed to do something about his mouth because she swore that some of the language that he used could make a sailor blush.

Their kisses were a bit more heated now but the pace was still calm and slow as Daryl tugged her underwear to one side. Beth shifted so that he could access underneath her dress better and she took her time to slide on top of him, enjoying the feel of him stretching her out.

She had never had sex outside before and she couldn't help but feel excited. Daryl mumbled down her ear about how wet she was and he was right; she was, but she couldn't exactly help the way her body reacted around him. It had been a long few weeks without seeing him and she had never had sex on the first date before, either, and now she was beginning to realise that Daryl was a lot of firsts for her.

It didn't take long before she came and once she had rode out the waves of her orgasm, Daryl rolled them over with one swift motion so that she was lay on her back and he was on top. He kissed her throat and he buried his head into her neck as he got closer and closer, and when Beth felt him harden inside her to signal that he was about to explode, she tugged on his hair and brought his head up so that he was looking right at her when he came inside of her.

Beth moaned at the feeling and she wanted nothing more than to shut her eyes because the sensation was just so lovely but she didn't break the eye contact. Daryl was a little breathless and she kissed him as he removed himself from inside of her, nudging her underwear back over her center with his hand once he was free from her.

Daryl pulled away from her so that he could pull both his boxers and jeans back up and re-buckle his belt. Beth stayed on her back but she wasn't looking at the sky this time. Instead, she was looking right at Daryl as he buttoned up his shirt. Once he had finished, his eyes met hers and she offered him a smile.

"I gotta ask you somethin'," Daryl said, wiping his hands on his jeans. Beth didn't say anything as she waited for him to continue. "Are you... You know?"

"Am I what?" Beth asked, confused.

Daryl darted his eyes around the truck bed nervously and Beth would have probably giggled at his serious expression if he hadn't seemed so shy about whatever it was he was trying to say. He could be awkward sometimes but she could be, too, so she didn't mind all that much.

"Are ya on the pill, or the implant, or _somethin_'?"

Beth's lips formed a little 'o' as she realised what he had been trying to say. He looked like he was cringing just saying the words and she felt a little bit guilty that she was so oblivious that she couldn't have saved him from the awkwardness of having to outright ask her.

"Yes," was all she said; although she wanted to frown at him and tell him that she wasn't stupid. Beth wouldn't sleep with anyone without protection and had she not been on the pill then she would have obviously told him that he needed to wear a condom.

But she supposed that he was a man and they were a strange breed so she didn't say anything more about it. Daryl just cleared his throat and nodded her head at that and seemed grateful that she didn't mention anything more about it.

They stayed there in silence for a few beats until Beth pushed herself up on her elbows and sat on her knees, copying Daryl's stance. She edged closer to him and cupped his face with her hands before pressing a light kiss to his lips.

"Stay with me tonight," she said to him once their kiss was over, looking him dead in the eyes.

Daryl didn't say anything and just nodded his head at her, but Beth's face still broke out into a huge smile as if he had just recounted Shakespeare's greatest works to her.

But Beth didn't need words from Daryl. There was a saying that came to mind when she thought of things to do with him; _'actions speak louder than words', _and she definitely believed it to be true. Daryl might not have had all the perfect words to say to her, but he had ways of showing her that he cared and that he was interested in her.

Beth had been with boys in the past - boys like her ex-boyfriends, Jimmy and Zach - who had been good with words, but their actions always said something different. Like how Jimmy had told her that she was the only girl for him, but then he had gone off to college and cheated on her with goodness knows how many girls. Or how Zach had said that he was going to save half of his wage to put towards a deposit on a house for them, but then he had gambled it all away behind her back and hadn't told her until she got a call to say that he was at the station because he had been in a fight at the casino and needed picking up.

So Beth didn't mind that Daryl didn't have all of the words in the world for her. She didn't mind because he had gone above and beyond for her this evening in a way that nobody had ever done before and not only had tonight been her first date with Daryl Dixon, it had also been the first night that she made love to him, too. Right here in the woods under the stars with nobody to disturb them or tell them that what they were doing was wrong - that he was bad and she was good and that they shouldn't mix.

Maybe it was true or maybe it wasn't, but either way it didn't matter.

Not tonight.

So Beth smiled at Daryl like he was the best man in the world because right now, he was. At least he was to her, anyway, and that was all that she cared about.

"Come on," Daryl said, climbing into the front of the truck. "Let's get goin', 'fore it gets real late."

Beth giggled at that and followed quickly behind him, stealing a quick kiss before he started the engine. She leaned back in her seat and clipped in her belt before shooting him a devilish grin.

"Your place or mine?"

* * *

**_Phew. _Hands up if you wish that your partner had done something like _that_ for your first date?**

**I wanted something cute and romantic but that Daryl wouldn't necessarily realise was romantic because it was just something that was kind of normal to him, so that's why I picked the woods. I hope that makes sense. I don't think Beth is necessarily the type of girl who expects big grand gestures either or the type of girl who would pull her face at relaxing in the forest. **

**And I know that this chapter was long and fluffy but I was in need of some Bethyl fluff. ****I don't know about you lot, but after the last two seasons of TWD I much prefer fluff to angst. That show has given me enough angst to last me a bloody lifetime.**

**Anyway, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! **


	11. Chapter 11

**This is the longest chapter that I've written for this story and I wasn't planning on it being this long, honestly. I don't know what happened - at first I was struggling to write it at all and then I ended up with this beast! **

**Anyway, I hope you like it. **

* * *

Beth slammed the front door of the farmhouse behind her and marched over to her truck. She stomped down the steps and hurried towards where the vehicle was parked, but she wasn't quick enough.

"Beth!"

She ignored Maggie's calls and searched in her bag for her keys, cursing under her breath when she couldn't find them. Beth could hear Maggie's footsteps getting closer and closer to her and she tried her hardest to ignore her presence, but she eventually removed her hand from the inside of her bag and threw it to her side, finally looking up at her sister to give Maggie her best scowl.

Beth had never been the best at looking intimidating or scary, and Maggie didn't seem phased by her expression at all, but Beth was still pretty pleased with herself. She was squinting her eyes and almost giving herself a headache because she was knotting her brows together that hard and her lips were squeezed into a thin line. Beth thought it was better than her previous attempts, which usually ended up with her laughing or smiling because it just felt so ridiculous to look like this.

But this was different. She was angry now - no, _furious _\- and scowling at her sister seemed like the best thing to do.

Maggie looked quite pleased with herself as she dangled the keys to Beth's truck in front of her face in a teasing manner. Beth wanted to gasp and scream and shout but she didn't. Instead she chose to keep her expression stone-cold.

Beth made an attempt to snatch them from her sister, but Maggie wasn't close enough and she was far too tall for her to reach them, anyway. Beth narrowed her blue eyes even more and Maggie's facial expression softened after a moment.

"Come back inside, Bethy," she said.

"No."

Beth couldn't help but be a little bit proud of herself for how steady her voice sounded.

_You're getting good at this standing up for yourself business. _

"Beth, please -"

"Maggie, give me my keys."

Beth hadn't fought with her sister in such a long time and she really hated doing it. Maggie was hard-faced and so cold when she wanted to be, but whilst Beth was equally as feisty and fierce, she was also warm and soft. The fact that she wasn't the best at being nasty didn't help, either. Maggie always knew what to say to hurt her in all of the sensitive spots, and whilst Beth probably did know what would really upset Maggie, she would never dream of saying any of it.

But Maggie had taken this whole thing too far and out of proportion and they were well into their twenties now, so why weren't they past all of this?

"No," Maggie said. "Come inside and talk about this and then I'll give you your keys."

Beth shook her head.

"Screw you," she hissed.

"Bethy!"

Beth's eyes widened at the sound of her father's voice. She hadn't noticed him standing at the top of the porch steps, and now he was looking at her with such sad eyes and a disappointed frown that made her feel awful. Beth rarely cursed because she knew how much her daddy didn't like it and here she was, speaking to her sister with language like that right outside of his house.

That was the problem with Beth. She felt guilty all too easily, whereas Maggie always thought that she was in the right and was never sorry for anything.

"See," Maggie said, looking over her shoulder at Hershel before looking back at Beth. "You're upsetting daddy."

Beth's big blue eyes widened again at that. She couldn't help but think that Maggie could be so ignorant and oblivious sometimes.

"_I'm_ upsetting daddy?"

"Yes, you are."

Maggie was speaking through gritted teeth now and Beth took a step backwards, putting more distance between the two of them. She was shaking her head back and forth and her ponytail was starting to fall loose but she didn't care about that.

All she cared about was getting as far away from this place as she possibly could.

"Maggie," Beth said, letting out a shaky breath to try and calm herself down. "Give. Me. My. Keys."

"No."

Beth let out a strangled noise and threw her arms up in defeat.

"Fine," she spat. "I'm leaving. Whether I walk or whether I drive. I don't _care_."

And she did just that. Beth turned on her heel and stomped away, ignoring the shouts of her sister telling her to come back.

Once she was almost halfway down the long dirt road that led up to the farm, she sighed in defeat and removed her phone from her bag, unlocking it quickly and dialing the number of the only person she wanted to see in that moment.

Daryl answered on the third ring and she was so relieved to hear his voice that she almost started to cry. Beth knew that her voice was breaking and Daryl probably thought that she was actually crying already even though the tears hadn't yet spilled from her eyes, but she was too caught up in everything that had been said to care anymore. All she really wanted was to get away from her family - her sister in particular - and give herself some space.

"I'm really, _really_ sorry to ask," she began, trying to keep her voice strong like it had been when she was talking to Maggie. "But is there any way you could come and pick me up?"

Daryl agreed without any hesitation and that almost made Beth smile. She told him where she was and he said that he would be there as quickly as possible.

"Thank you," she said. "I'll be at the bottom of the dirt road just before you turn in."

* * *

He was already waiting for her at the bottom of the dirt road when she got there. Beth briefly wondered how fast he must have been going to get to her so quickly, but she pushed it away and smiled at him instead.

Beth had never ridden on a motorcycle before and Daryl nodded at her when she told him that.

"Just hold on tight," he said to her.

Beth climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing the side of her face into his back.

"Y'alright?" he asked before they set off.

Beth just nodded her head once and squeezed his middle tightly. Daryl didn't say anything else to her and she was glad for it, just enjoying the ride back to wherever it was that he wanted to take her. She hadn't exactly specified where she wanted to go and Daryl seemed to be able to tell that she didn't care where she went, she just needed to get away from the farm.

Beth closed her eyes and tried to breath steady as they rode, laughing a little when the wind hit her a little too hard and sent the bobble flying from her hair, causing it to whip around her face and neck as Daryl sped off.

They pulled up outside Daryl's house a short while later and he helped her climb off the bike. Beth was glad that he knew what he was doing because she didn't even realise that her legs would feel like jelly and she probably would have ended up falling over and hurting herself.

Daryl told Beth to sit down on the couch and she could smell something cooking in the kitchen and she instantly felt bad that she had interrupted his evening, causing him to have to leave his dinner cooking in the kitchen so that he could come and get her.

She looked around at the living room and realised how much more spacious his place was than hers. Beth had always imagined Daryl to prefer old-school decoration, but the place was actually modern and although it was a bit bare, it suited him in a strange way.

The walls were a cream color and the couches were white and he had a television and a computer desk with a laptop placed on it. There was a little coffee table in the middle of the room and it was open-plan, leading straight into a dining room. Beth wondered if Daryl ever had people round for dinner because it looked like only one of the chairs had ever been sat on and she smiled a little at that.

"You hungry?" he asked, emerging in the doorway to the kitchen.

Beth just nodded her head once and smiled a little at him before he disappeared back into the kitchen. He came out a few minutes later carrying two plates of spaghetti and placed the food down on the dining room table, setting it so that they were sat opposite each other. Whilst Beth settled herself in one of the chairs, Daryl hopped back in the kitchen and came out with two glasses; one of them filled with lemonade and the other empty.

Daryl passed her the empty glass, looking a little sheepish as he did so.

"Didn't know what you like," he told her, nodding his head towards the kitchen.

But Beth just smiled at him and accepted his silent invitation, heading into the kitchen and looking around. Daryl's kitchen was bigger than her kitchen and like the living room, it was simple and sleek and modern with marble counter tops and clean surfaces. Beth opened the fridge and poured some diet coke into her glass before she returned to the table.

"Thank you for this, Daryl," she told him.

He just shrugged his shoulders at her but didn't say anything as they both tucked into their food. Daryl ate a lot faster and messier than she did and Beth bit back a smile throughout the meal and she was proud of herself for not giggling at him.

Daryl looked like he was dying to just eat his food with his fingers but he was using his manners and eating with a knife and fork and Beth thought it was sweet of him. She smiled at him from across the way when he looked up at her and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards a little.

"This is really good," she said as she placed another forkful into her mouth.

Daryl snorted at that.

"I mean it," she said once she had swallowed. "You're a good cook."

"You'd be the first to think so," he said, shoveling the last of his food into his mouth.

"Have you ever cooked for anyone else before?" she asked.

Daryl shook his head.

"Just Merle," he said after a moment, and Beth smiled a little at that.

"Then I'm the first to say it because nobody has had the opportunity to say it. Besides, I'm sure Merle thinks you're a good cook."

Daryl made a noise in the back of his throat but didn't say anything more about it, so Beth didn't, either. He waited at the table until she had finished her meal and then he took both of their plates into the kitchen. Beth picked up her glass and went to sit on one of the couches, kicking off her trainers before she snuggled into the chair.

She knew that she was probably making herself all too comfortable when it wasn't her place to, but she felt so awful and miserable and his couches were cosy and they smelled like him.

"You gon' tell me what this is all about?"

Beth opened her eyes and jumped slightly at how close he was. He had sat beside her and was looking at her strangely, probably wondering what she was actually doing here and why she was making herself so comfortable on his couch.

She sighed even though she knew that she needed to tell him because if she didn't then it would only weigh her down.

"It's Maggie," she said. Beth had told Daryl all about her family so he knew who she was referring to. "She's just... She's horrible sometimes."

"S'up with her?" he asked.

Beth just shook her head at him.

"She's not very pleased with me seeing you."

That made Daryl's head tilt and his expression was suddenly unreadable. Beth took a deep breath before she began to explain.

* * *

_Beth frowned as she entered the farmhouse. Almost every time she came round to the farm, her daddy would have heard her truck bumping along the long dirt road and would be sat on the porch on his rocking chair, waiting patiently to greet her at the door._

_But her daddy wasn't there and neither was her mama and Beth was overcome with a silly feeling of panic that maybe something awful had happened. She placed her keys onto the coffee table in the hallway before she rushed into the lounge and was pleasantly surprised to see not only her parents sat in their chairs, but also her sister resting on one of the armchairs. _

_"Maggie," Beth breathed. "Daddy. Mama. You had me worried when nobody came to the door," she laughed, her hand resting over her heart. "Are you joining us for dinner, Mags? I told Mama that I would cook and I've probably not got enough chicken, but I'm sure that I'll be able to..."_

_Beth trailed off as she realised that everyone in the room had a solemn expression on their faces and she looked around at each of them before clearing her throat._

_"Bethy," her mama said with a calm smile. "Why don't you sit down, sweetheart?"_

_"Is something wrong?" Beth asked as she lowered herself down on the armrest of her mother's chair. _

_Hershel was smiling at her now, too; but Maggie looked stone cold and serious as she stared across the room at her sister. Beth couldn't help but worry about what was wrong with everyone and why they were acting so strangely._

_The Greene farmhouse was usually filled with laughter and kisses and warm, happy hugs and smiles and Beth had rarely seen it without those things. The silence that filled the room between everyone was deafening and she could feel her palms beginning to sweat._

_"There's something we need to discuss," her daddy began. Beth knew that tone and even though her father was still looking at her with soft, kind eyes; she knew that he meant business. Beth's eyes darted in Maggie's direction before she looked straight at her father again, but her sister hadn't making eye contact with her._

_"Now, Bethy, I know that you are very much a grown woman now and you are more than capable of making your own decisions. But it's come to my attention that you've been meeting up with one of the Dixon boys, and I -"_

_That _bitch.

_"You told them?"_

_Beth knew that her tone was cold but she didn't care. She was staring at Maggie with an angry expression, consumed by rage that was building within her. She knew that it was Maggie who had told them because now it all made sense - why her sister was there, why nobody came out to greet her, why she wouldn't even look at her until her daddy told her._

_Why would her sister do that? _

_"I had to," Maggie said through gritted teeth. "You wouldn't listen to me."_

_Beth scoffed._

_"_I_ wouldn't listen to _you_? Are you _joking_? Why, because I ignored your nasty judgement of a man you don't even know?"_

_Maggie's nostrils flared at that and she opened her mouth to say something but Annette cut her off. _

_"Beth, sweetie, your sister was just looking out for you. None of us are here to attack you, we want to _support_ you and just make sure that you're making the right decisions."_

_The sound of her mother's voice calmed her a little and Beth realised that her palms were shaking with anger. Beth rarely got so angry and she could usually control her temper quite well but she had a feeling that this was going to push her off the edge. _

_"You and daddy might want to support me, but all Maggie wants to do is meddle. It's nobody's business except mine and Daryl's, anyway. I shouldn't even be having this conversation with anybody because I didn't want anyone to know yet."_

_Beth caught sight of her sister rolling her eyes and she suddenly was overcome with the urge to cross the room and slap her straight across the face. _

_She didn't, of course - after all, she was little Beth Greene with big blue eyes and a petite body and hands that were used for cooking and washing and stitching up injured people, not for slapping her sister with. _

_"You didn't want anyone to know because you knew what you were doing was _wrong_."_

_"You weren't saying that when you were giving me advice about calling him! How two faced are you? Grow _up_, Maggie."_

_Beth's voice was rising higher and higher and she would probably be screaming if she could stomach the thought of behaving like that in front of her parents. _

_"You're the one sneaking around with a guy like him! What are you, fifteen and trying to piss off daddy? You grow up, Beth."_

_"A guy like him?" Beth was losing it now, her cheeks flushing as she spoke. "What do you mean, 'a guy like him'?"_

_"You know _exactly _what I mean," Maggie spat._

_Her words stung and Beth was so frustrated with her older sister. She wished that she had never even confided in Maggie about Daryl, but she had never for a moment thought that her sister would sell her out like this. Maggie had seemed so relaxed when they were talking about him not even that long ago and she had even confided in her about their first date and how perfect it had been. _

_How could Maggie not see how much of a nice guy Daryl really was? _

_And how could she corner her like this and expect her to understand?_

_All of the things she knew about her - all of the secrets she had kept to herself for so many years - and she had never once even asked Maggie to hide anything for her. Maggie and her constant sneaking around her parents backs with all of the boyfriends, all of the one night stands, all of the disappearing in the middle of the night. All of the failed papers at school, all of the pregnancy tests, all of the lies about whose house she had slept at the night before. _

_And Beth had never once asked for Maggie to keep a secret for her from their parents because she had never done anything like that and she never wanted to be like her sister, anyway._

_That was until now, and her sister had betrayed her in the worst way possible. What did she think their parents were going to do? After all, Beth was working now and lived on her own outside of the farm. What was her daddy going to do, lock her inside her apartment and confiscate her phone until she promised not to meet with the older man ever again?_

_"Girls," their mother's stern voice broke Beth from her thoughts. _

_Both Beth and Maggie turned to face Annette, their mother's eyes darting from one to the other. Beth almost felt guilty that her mother was in this position, but she quickly checked in with herself that it wasn't her fault - this was all Maggie. _

_"Beth, you know I can't - and won't - stop you from dating whoever you see fit. But I do _not_ think that leaving a bar in the early hours of the morning in a drunken state and taking Mister Dixon back to your apartment with you is necessarily the best idea you've ever had."_

_Beth's cheeks flushed a bright crimson color and she snapped her head round to glare at her sister. Maggie didn't even look regretful or ashamed. Instead, she almost looked _happy.

_"Mama," Beth said, finally breaking eye contact from her sister. "It wasn't like that."_

_"Don't lie, Bethy," Maggie said in a sing-song voice. _

_"Shut _up, _Maggie," Beth hissed._

_Maggie didn't react to her nasty tone at all and looked completely relaxed, as if the whole situation was completely normal. Beth wondered just how relaxed her sister would be if she started listing all of the men that _she_ had gone home with after a night out. _

_It had been Shane Walsh just a few days before Glenn came on the scene and Beth knew that her daddy wouldn't like that one bit because Shane Walsh had caused a lot of trouble between Rick Grimes and his wife, and daddy classed Rick Grimes as one of his good friends. _

_But she quickly decided against that. __She wouldn't stoop to her sister's low level._

_"I don't want my youngest daughter being slandered around town for who she is affiliated with," Hershel spoke up. _

_Beth turned to look at him with pleading eyes, hoping that he would understand._

_"Then don't go round talkin' badly about me," Beth said, frowning as the words came out of her mouth._

_Hershel looked offended and spoke in what she could only consider a whisper._

_"You know I would never do that."_

_Beth nodded her head. _

_"I know, daddy. And ain't that all that matters? I don't care what people say about me. They can think what they want. Everyone has a lot to say about Daryl and none of it is true, and I know that you wouldn't judge someone without gettin' to know them, either." _

_Beth took a deep breath before she carried on. _

_"The first time I met Daryl was in the middle of the night when I was coming back from a shift at the hospital. I wasn't in the best part of town and ended up gettin' a flat, and you know how useless I am with cars. I didn't even have to flag him down, he just... stopped. He stopped and he helped me and he wouldn't even let me say thank you. I know he's a good man, daddy, and I know what people say about him but he's not like that. Maggie just won't listen to me."_

_The corners of Hershel's lips were turning up into a smile and Beth wanted to sob in relief that he actually seemed to understand what she was saying about Daryl. But then Maggie opened her mouth and the words came out and his face fell once more as his daughters began to argue again._

_"I already _told_ you that he killed someone -"_

_"He _never_!" _

_Beth was shrieking now, outraged at the nerve of her sister. She hopped up from where she was resting on the chair and pointed her finger accusingly in Maggie's direction. _

_"He's a nice guy, Maggie. Nicer than any of the men _you've_ shacked up with! You're actin' like you care so much about me and what people in town might say about who I'm goin' home with, but do ya even know _half _of the things people say about you?"_

_Maggie was glaring at her now and looking shocked that Beth had reacted like this but she had snapped. _

_"I'm pretty sure you don't, 'cause if you _did_, you wouldn't be judgin' Daryl the way you constantly are. Stop actin' like you're holier-than-thou, Maggie, cause you're _not._ And everyone knows it, too. "_

_It was the truth and she didn't care anymore. Taking the high road didn't matter anymore. Standing up for herself and the man that she was falling for was all that mattered to her right now. _

_A__fter all, it wasn't like Daryl was there to defend himself._

_She was frustrated because he was _nice. _He was quiet and reserved and shy and sure, looking at the size of him she decided that he could hold his own in a fight and he probably had beat a few people to the pulp, but Beth was sure that they would have all deserved it. It wasn't _that _easy to get a rise out of him. Daryl was thoughtful and kind and sweet and when he was with her, he was even _soft.

_All Maggie had to do was just give him a chance, but she was too consumed in town gossip to be able to do that._

_Nobody said anything for a few moments. Beth's chest was heaving and her breathing was heavy as she continued to stare at her sister who looked beyond furious now._

_"Bethy, dear; please calm down -"_

_"No," Beth cut her mother off, too angry to think straight anymore. "No, mama, I won't calm down. I can't. It's not anyone else's business what goes on in my life except mine. I was gonna tell you and daddy, I swear it, but I didn't wanna tell you in case it was nothing."_

_"'Cause you're obviously doubting that he'll commit to you. Doesn't that show what you really think of him?"_

_Beth narrowed her eyes at her sister._

_"No, Maggie, that's _not _the reason. The reason is that I've seen you bring guy after guy after guy round here, all of 'em different and never the same guy twice, and I don't wanna be like that. I don't wanna be like_ you."

_The sour expression on her sister's face gave it away. She did _not_like that._

"_I don't want mama and daddy to meet Daryl until I'm sure that he's the right guy for me, and _I _wanted to be the one to tell 'em, _not _you. You took away that opportunity from me and that's not fair. I never keep secrets and I never wanted to and I'm pretty sure that me and Daryl are datin' now, and I'm actually _happy_. I've finished my degree and I've got a job and now I've got a boyfriend, too, and you don't get to come and ruin that for me."_

_Beth turned around so that her back was to Maggie and she was facing her parents. Her father had always been protective of her but he was much more understanding than Maggie was about her independence and her mama had always had a soft spot for her youngest child. She knew that whilst her sister's intentions were questionable, her parents were always trying to look out for her and make sure that she was alright. _

_Whilst Beth always felt crushed by Maggie, her parents were never overbearing with her._

_"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Beth said, her eyes darting from her mother's to her father's. "I wanted to, but I wasn't sure what was goin' on between me and Daryl and I didn't want to cause a fuss over nothin'. And I know you'll have heard bad things about him, but he's not a bad guy. Daryl is good to me and he makes me happy and you'll be able to judge him for yourself when I decide it's time for you to meet each other." _

_That was the last thing she said before she stormed out of the lounge and left the farmhouse, Maggie hollering behind her for her to come back. _

* * *

Beth sighed as she finished her story and looked at Daryl. He had stopped rubbing her feet a while ago and now his hands were simply resting on them. She began to play with the ends of her hair and suddenly didn't want to look in his eyes.

Daryl's hands slowly reached out from where they had been resting on her feet to cup her face. He began stroking her cheeks with his thumbs so tenderly and Beth let out a little sigh before she looked up at him with sad blue eyes.

He looked at her for a long moment and Beth was sure that he was trying to communicate with her through his eyes. He looked almost proud and happy, but she could still see the hesitation in his features. Daryl nudged towards her ever so slightly and lowered his head towards hers, bumping their noses together before he placed a tender kiss on her lips.

Beth's body sagged with relief at the contact and she suddenly felt much better. All thought about Maggie and her judgmental ways were forgotten as Daryl deepened the kiss, and it didn't take Beth long to feel better again.

* * *

**Another long one.**

**I guess it was only a matter of time until Maggie started being mega irritating. ****I promise I don't _hate _her character, I just think she's too overbearing and I don't like the way her and Glenn have basically become one character together. Plus I think it's so mean that they got to be reunited happily and Bethyl didn't. (Not that I'm still resentful over that MSF or anything...)**

**Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you for all of your feedback on the last chapter! A lot of you seemed to approve of Beth putting Maggie in her place and I'm so glad you did because I wasn't sure of whether or not I wrote the last chapter well enough or whether I made Beth be a little too harsh on her sister. I'm just happy you all seemed to enjoy it!**

**Also, I can't believe I have over seventy reviews for this story, along with over seventy followers. You're all so amazing and really motivate me to write this story and it's so nice considering the fact that I never even thought anyone would even bother to read this fic except me, myself and I. I honestly can't thank you enough!**

**Not as much happens in this chapter but it is an important one in terms of pushing things along with Beth and Daryl's relationship. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Today had been a busy day.

Beth had just finished her shift at the hospital - which had been as eventful as always - and was now on her way over to the Grimes' house to babysit Judith. She wouldn't have needed the extra money anymore now that she was working, but she got paid monthly and wouldn't receive a penny until the end of her first month of work, so she was pretty broke at the moment.

She supposed that she probably had enough saved up to get her by, but she didn't want to dip into her savings anymore and besides, she enjoyed looking after Judith and saw it more as doing a favour for a friend instead of it just being a job.

Beth had been pleasantly surprised to find out that Daryl and Rick were good friends. No, they were better than good friends - best friends, actually. Beth wasn't certain how they knew each other, but they had apparently known each other for years and Beth wondered how she had never known that before. Daryl had spoken to her on the phone at lunchtime that he was going out for food and drinks with a friend that evening, and Beth had told him to have a drink on her because she would be stuck in babysitting Judith so that Rick could go out for food and drinks with one of _his_ friends.

Daryl had chuckled and told Beth that she wasn't very observant. Beth had been confused at that but then she had laughed when he explained that he was the friend that Rick would be going out with that evening. He carried on teasing her for it and Beth eventually told him that she could blame it on the fact that she was mentally drained from work and that he couldn't expect her to be quick about things when she was still in hospital mode.

So when she pulled into Rick's driveway, she wasn't surprised to see Daryl's bike parked outside of the house. Her mama had dropped her truck off the day after her big fight with Maggie, but Beth had still been at Daryl's house and hadn't been there to see her mother when she left the car.

Beth thought that it was strange that she had babysat Judith for so long and never bumped into Daryl at the Grimes household; but then she supposed that now that Rick was filing for divorce, he had more time for his friends and would want to get out of the house more, too.

That was mostly the reason why she didn't mind watching Judith for him. She couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for Rick. He was a lovely man and always seemed happy enough with his wife. Lori Grimes was also a lovely woman and Beth couldn't help but think that her behaviour had been so out of character for someone who seemed to have the perfect life.

Beth liked Lori Grimes just fine, but the one thing that she couldn't get her head around was the fact that the woman had just up and left Judith and Carl in Rick's care. Beth wasn't sure where Lori was living now, but there were rumours that she had left town completely and had abandoned her children in the process. Rick was still having to work with Shane on a daily basis because they were partners and at the moment, the force would not allow them to switch partners because of 'personal drama'.

She had tutted at hearing that and Beth thought that sleeping with your partner's wife surely wasn't just seen as _personal drama. _It was more than understandable that Rick wouldn't want to work with Shane, especially when the affair had been going on for years behind his back and now people were even entertaining the idea that Judith could be Shane's daughter.

Beth knocked on the door and grinned when Daryl opened it instead of Rick.

"Hey," she said.

Daryl nodded his head at her and stood to the side so that she could walk in. Beth wondered if Daryl had told Rick about her and the fact that they were dating now. They hadn't had the conversation, but she had stayed at Daryl's house more than once now and he had stayed over at hers, too. Plus they had slept together several times and he was going to be taking her out _again_ this weekend, and Beth thought that if that didn't count as dating, then she really didn't know what would.

"Hello, Beth."

Beth wandered into the kitchen where Rick was greeting her from and stood in the doorway for a second, watching as he struggled to get Judith to eat her food.

She let out a hearty laugh when Judith spat the food out and it would have hit Rick straight in the face had he not moved away quick enough. Rick turned around and smiled at her.

"I take it this isn't the first time that's happened?" Beth smiled as she approached him.

Rick just shook his head and watched as Beth bent down and began to talk to Judith who was sat in her high chair. Beth picked up a spoonful of food and pretended to eat a little herself before placing it in the child's mouth and watching as she swallowed it greedily.

Beth smiled up at Rick who was just shaking his head at her.

"Don't know how you do it, Beth," he said, running a hand through his hair.

Beth just laughed and carried on feeding the baby before saying goodbye to both of the men. Rick told her that he would be back around half ten but she insisted that he didn't hurry home.

"Have a good night," she had said, her eyes dancing from Rick to Daryl. "Both of you."

"Thanks, Beth," Rick had said. "Carl's stayin' at Michonne's again, so it's just the two of you."

Michonne was a good friend of Rick's and also a colleague of his and Carl had stayed there plenty of times, even when Rick and Lori were still together. Michonne had lost her own son, Andre, when he was still a toddler in a tragic accident along with her boyfriend at the time and she had always had a soft spot for Rick's teenage son. Beth had never had a conversation with the woman, but she had seen her around town several times before.

She always looked angry and her presence was a little intimidating and some people liked to think that she had gone mad after loosing her child, but Beth thought that she seemed harmless enough. After all, who wouldn't be a little cold after losing their only child?

"No worries," Beth had nodded, shooing the pair of them out of the door. "Have a good night."

"I'm sure we will," Rick said before he shut the door, leaving Beth and Judith alone.

* * *

It was gone midnight when Rick returned home. He apologised to Beth for being late but Beth just smiled and told him it was fine.

"I've got to get going," she said when he offered her a drink. "Thank you, though. Give me a call if you need me to watch her again, won't you?"

"Don't worry, Beth," Rick had smiled. "I won't be askin' anyone else to babysit her before you."

Beth had grinned at that and waved goodbye to him, walking down the driveway to her truck. She blinked a few times as she caught sight of Daryl stood in front of the driver side door, shocked to see him there at first, but then she was smiling at him and laughing a little as she asked him what he was doing. Daryl just shrugged his shoulders casually and pushed himself from where he had been leaning against the car.

"Waitin' for you," he told her simply.

"For me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes playfully.

Daryl just rolled his eyes at her and she giggled before walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He tensed up a little at first and Beth waited until he had relaxed before she placed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Time are you workin' tomorrow?" he asked.

"Ten," she told him, and he nodded his head at her. "I'm working ten 'til six for the rest of the week."

Daryl looked at her like he wanted to say something so she waited patiently for him to get out the words. She didn't rush him, not wanting to put more pressure on him. She knew that it was hard enough for him to get out what he wanted to say without her making it worse.

"Alrigh'," he said.

Beth knew that he wanted to say something _more _\- she could see it in the way he was looking at her, like he was troubled and struggling - and Beth swooped in to save him.

Reading him was starting to get a lot easier and she was quickly becoming more confident with understanding whatever he was trying to tell her with his eyes and with his body language.

"Would you like to come home with me?" Beth asked.

Daryl let out a breath and nodded his head once. She couldn't help but grin at him as he initiated another little kiss before he pulled away and went to put his bike in the back of the truck.

Beth watched him as he did so and jumped a little at the sight of Rick looking out at them from his living room window. He had a knowing smile on his face and nodded his head at her in acknowledgement. Beth bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself breaking out into a full-on grin and just nodded back at him.

Her gaze lingered on Rick in the window for a little longer until Daryl gave her a strange look and asked her if she was ready to go. His own head turned towards the window, but Rick had quickly shut the blinds just before he could realise that they were being watched.

"You alright?" he asked as Beth started up the engine to the truck.

She just offered him a lazy smile and told him that of course she was alright. Daryl didn't look convinced - narrowing his blue eyes at her and frowning a little - but then she pushed herself forward to him and placed a kiss on his cheek and his lips were twitching into a little smile as she set off back to her apartment.

* * *

"Daddy?"

When Beth had walked in to her apartment, she had not been expecting anyone to be there. She lived alone and always made sure that she locked the door behind her when she went out, because she supposed that you could never be too safe - even in a little town like this. She knew that Daryl was working late tonight because she had only rang him about half an hour ago as she was leaving the hospital and he had told her that someone had brought in a broken down car just as he was about to close the garage and that he could do with the extra cash anyway, so he didn't mind working late.

So when she first walked through the door and heard someone shuffling about in her living room, Beth went into instant panic mode. Thankfully she hadn't just straight up ran out of there and called the police and had instead chosen to nudge the door to her living room open slowly so that she could get a good look at her intruder before she went and did something stupid.

Her father turned round from where he was making his way over to the couch and gave Beth a warm smile. She placed her bags down on the floor and went over to give him a hug.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Hershel reminded Beth that he had a spare key and she let out a little laugh, shaking her head before telling him that she was going to go and get changed out of her uniform. She threw on a pair of pajama shorts and one of Daryl's flannel shirts that he had left there the other night. His shirts came to her mid-thigh and she always had to roll up the sleeves because he was so much taller than her, but she loved wearing them anyway.

Beth left the top three buttons open but made sure to button up the rest. She didn't want to give her father a heart attack, after all.

She called from the kitchen to ask if he would like a drink and then poured them both a glass of iced tea when he accepted her offer. Beth grabbed an unopened pack of biscuits from one of her cupboards and scattered a few on a plate before bringing it into the living room along with the drinks and placing them on the coffee table.

Hershel had already switched on the television and was flicking through the channels as she plopped down onto the opposite couch.

"How are you, Bethy?" he asked as she took a sip of her drink.

Beth shrugged her shoulders casually.

"Not bad, thanks, daddy. Work's exhausting, but I'm really enjoying it. How are you?"

Hershel nodded as he bit into one of the biscuits she had put out for him. He had a sweet tooth, just like her, and she had lived with him all too long to know just how much he would appreciate the little gesture.

"Good, thanks, sweetheart."

A comfortable silence passed between them as both of their attentions turned to the television as the news came on. Hershel cleared his throat after a few minutes and Beth turned to face him once more.

"There is a reason I dropped by," he said. Beth didn't say anything and let him continue. "You know how I hate you and your sister fighting, Bethy. It's not good in my old age to be worryin' about you girls like this, but I can't help myself."

_No he didn't just play the 'in my old age' card. _

Hershel knew that Beth was softer than her sister and mentioning things like that would get to her. She wanted to be cross at him for using her weaknesses against her, but she could never be angry at her daddy. She knew that he meant well - he always did.

"Daddy, there's nothing to worry about."

"I've not seen you so angry at your sister in a very long time."

His blunt words were said in a soft tone and Beth knew that he really couldn't help but worry. He had always been protective of his children, particularly his girls, and she knew that it had been hard on him when she finally left home. He had never told her that but she could see it in his eyes the day that she left and even though he had supported her financially as she struggled through her degree, she knew that he would have preferred for her to stay with him and her mama for a little while longer.

Beth supposed that with that knowledge, him hearing of her bringing Daryl home from a bar wasn't something he would be best pleased about, either; but she was a grown woman now and she could make her own decisions. As much as she loved and respected her daddy, she needed to live and have fun and she didn't regret that night - even if was a little out of character for her.

If she hadn't have brought him home that night, then who knows where they would be now and she didn't want to think like that. Not when she was so happy with Daryl.

"What she did wasn't fair, daddy. I know you don't wanna hear it, and I'm not gonna tell you either, but there are so many things that I kept a secret for Maggie over the years. I did it 'cause she was my sister and I loved her and she asked me to. And I never asked her for anything in return, and I was gonna tell you and mama - I swear I was - but when the time was right for me. And she knew that and she told you anyway."

Hershel looked at his youngest daughter with empathy in his eyes and Beth knew that he understood what she was telling him. It wasn't just the fact that Maggie had told her parents, it was the betrayal she felt because of it and the fact that she had been let down by her sister when she thought she was somebody who she could trust.

"Maggie's talkin' about people gossipin' about me, but that's exactly what she was doin' the other day. I wish that you could have found out about me and Daryl by me comin' to you and bein' happy and gushin' to you both about this man who makes me happier than anyone else. But I don't get to do that and it's because of her."

"I know you don't agree with Maggie's actions," Hershel began. "But that doesn't change the fact that you two are sister's. You don't have to agree with one another and that's what I told Maggie, too. I do wish you would have told me about the Dixon boy a little sooner, but I understand your reasons for keeping it to yourself at the time. I just wish that you girls wouldn't fight like this."

Beth let out a sigh as she took in her daddy's words. She didn't want to fight with Maggie either, but it was hard not to when she couldn't even stand the thought of being in the same room as her.

"Are you really happy, Bethy?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

Hershel smiled at that.

"I am happy, daddy. Happier than I have been in a long time and I know what you've heard about him, but Daryl is a good man. Even if nobody else thinks so, I think so, and that's all that matters. Maggie can think what she wants and I don't care for it at all, 'cause I've thought a lot about the men she's brought home before and she's never listened to me, either. So why is this any different?"

Hershel nodded as Beth spoke and he just carried on smiling at her the whole time.

"All that matters is that you're happy," he finally said. "You know that your sister will come around. She's stubborn as a mule but she loves you and you love her. You just need to give it a bit of time."

Beth nodded her head at her father.

"But Bethy, I don't want you two fightin' still. An' I don't want you not comin' round to see me and your mama 'cause of her."

"I know, daddy," Beth sighed. "And I won't stop comin' round."

Hershel nodded his head at her.

"Good," he said. "Then I expect to see you on Sunday?"

"Of course," Beth smiled.

"And I expect that you will be bringing this Daryl Dixon with you?"

Beth couldn't help it as her smile faltered at her father's words.

_He wanted her to do _what?

* * *

**So following the huge argument between Beth and Maggie, Hershel has decided that it's time to meet his youngest daughter's love interest. (You knew it was coming, didn't you?)**

**I've read quite a few Bethyl stories on here (Ok, that's a lie, I've read a LOT) and whilst I have very much enjoyed the ones where Hershel doesn't approve of Beth seeing our favourite Dixon, I'm not going to have him like that in my story. I don't know; I guess I've always seen Hershel as being a really understanding and empathetic character and I think he wouldn't necessarily just judge Daryl like everybody else. **

**That's not to say that I don't enjoy reading stories where Hershel is very overprotective of Beth and disapproves of their relationship, it's just that it doesn't really fit the way that I've written him and the way that I see him in my mind. I definitely think that he is a protective father but in my story I would like him to be silently protective, unlike Maggie who is all guns blazing and basically a bull in a china shop. I hope that makes sense and that you can all understand why Hershel is quite accepting of Bethyl. (Also there isn't the whole age difference issue in this because I've made Beth a bit older and Daryl a bit younger, and eight/nine years isn't _too _big of an age gap, right?)**

**I'm also debating bringing Merle into this story a little bit more. A few of you expressed a keen interest in him when he came to the hospital but he's not actually been a proper character in this story as of yet. Is that still something you would like to see? Let me know and I'll see what I can do. I might bring him into the next chapter as I'm going to start writing it later on this evening.**

**Anyway, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**ANOTHER update today!**

**Here, have a chapter from Daryl's POV as my thank you for all of your constant support to this story. **

**I smile every time I get an email telling me that another person has reviewed/favourited/followed this story. You're honestly the best. **

* * *

The sound of his brother's voice echoing throughout the house caused Daryl to sigh.

Deep down, he had known that this day was coming. Merle hadn't been round to see him in a while, but that wasn't a cause for concern. He usually did this; disappeared for a few weeks, sometimes even months, and then just dropped by one day as if him being there again was the most normal thing in the world. Sometimes he'd stick around for a while, sleeping in one Daryl's two spare bedrooms. Other times, he'd vanish almost as quickly as he came and then would be gone for another unpredictable period of time.

Daryl never complained about it because that was Merle. It was just how he was; how he had always been, and Daryl actually found that more often than not, he didn't mind.

It wasn't that he minded his brother being there today, either. It was more the fact that Daryl knew what Merle was going to say and what Daryl was going to have to do and he wasn't keen on the idea. At all.

"Wha'cha got cookin' in here, Darylina?"

Daryl didn't know what Merle was going to say about it. He never knew what Merle was going to say about anything, and he knew his brother better than anyone else in the world.

What he did know was that one way or another, Merle was going to rip the shit out of him for this.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at his brother as he burst in through the kitchen door. He didn't look too different; no new scars or cuts or bruises, so that had to count for something. Daryl couldn't help but notice that he wore the same shit-eating grin as always and he briefly wondered what on earth he was doing wearing a _vest, _but he decided against saying anything.

He kept quiet as Merle marched straight to the fridge and helped himself to a beer. Daryl didn't need to bother asking if Merle wanted anything to eat - he _always _wanted something to eat - so he tossed some more chicken into the pan and carried on cooking in silence.

"Well, ain't ya gon' be polite an' say hello to ol' Merle?"

Daryl just rolled his eyes and grabbed a couple of slices of bread to make sandwiches with. He wasn't in the mood for Merle's teasing anyway.

Merle seemed to sense that Daryl was in no mood to be playful and made his way back into the living room, slapping him twice on the back with his good hand as he did so. Daryl was pleased to see that his brother's wrist was still securely bandaged up considering the fact that just a few minutes after he had woken up, he had already been talking about maybe attaching a knife to the end of it.

_"Don't think the cops would be too pleased 'bout that," Daryl had murmured. _

_Merle scoffed at that._

_"Don't give a shit what them damn pigs say, baby brother," he said. "Never have, neither."_

Daryl knew that his brother was an idiot. Always had known. Merle had always got himself in and out of trouble all through his life, sometimes dragging Daryl along with him, too. But he had gone and got his hand hacked off all on his own by pissing off the wrong guys.

Merle had tried explaining himself, but Daryl hadn't really paid much attention. As soon as he found out that it was something to do with drugs and money that he owed, Daryl couldn't help but tune out. He had tried and tried to help his brother on many different occasions, but the saying was true; you really couldn't help someone who didn't want to help themselves.

It didn't take long for Daryl to prepare their food and passed Merle his plate as he went to sit down on the opposite side of the couch. Merle didn't thank him for the food, but Daryl hadn't expected him to, so he didn't mind. His brother had already switched the television on and the pair of them watched a show about police car chases whilst they ate.

Well, Daryl _tried _to watch it, but Merle was going on and on and on about his sex life. Nothing new there. But it sounded like he'd got himself into a bit of bother with a woman who was married and had a daughter with the man, but apparently the guy could be a little bit rough with his wife from time to time.

"Wha', an' you ain't done anythin' 'bout it?" Daryl asked, frowning.

The pair of them might not have had the best upbringing, but they had at least _some _morals and a code when it came to women. They had both seen what had happened to their mother as a result of their father's unkind fists and the brother's had an almost silent agreement that they would never lay their hands on a woman.

So it shocked Daryl to hear that his brother was sitting by and doing nothing whilst someone he was involved with was suffering in a similar way that their mother had.

"Watcha want me t'do?" Merle said. "Ain't nothin' to be done 'bout it. S'her choice."

Daryl wondered if Merle really believed that, but he just shrugged his shoulders and took another bite of his sandwich.

"Besides," Merle continued after having a sip of his beer. "She already tol' me she don't want me sayin' anythin' or doin' anythin', an' I gotta respect the ladies wishes, right?"

Daryl didn't say anything more about it, letting his eyes drift to his watch to check on the time.

It was Saturday and he had plans to take Beth out again tonight. Her week had been fairly shitty, especially after her argument with her sister, and Daryl had been feeling pretty shitty knowing that it was his fault.

When he had mentioned that to Beth, she had actually looked _angry _and insisted that he shouldn't be so silly because it wasn't his fault. Beth had flashed those blue eyes at him and told him in her most confident voice that it wasn't his problem that Maggie couldn't help but stick her nose in everybody else's businesses and she made it clear that she wanted him to _"snap out of it". _But that was the problem.

He couldn't.

Daryl knew the first time that he laid eyes on little Beth Greene trying to pull out her spare tire that she was _good. _That word alone made her completely untouchable - _should _have made her completely untouchable - for him. Because Daryl was a Dixon and Dixon's weren't good. Dixon's had no business being good or messing with anything, or anyone, that was good.

But Beth was _so _good that he just couldn't help himself. She had big blue eyes and soft blonde hair and pretty little lips that twisted up into a pretty little smile. She was soft in all of the ways that he was rough and her porcelain skin was so smooth underneath his tanned, callous hands and her voice was like sunshine whilst his made it obvious just how many cigarettes he used to smoke.

It didn't seem to matter that he knew how different they were and how their relationship made little sense. Daryl knew that he should have left her alone - still knew that now - but he couldn't resist. Beth was good but that didn't mean that she wasn't tempting, and now that he'd had a taste of her, he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop.

A good man would walk away and leave her be, but Daryl Dixon had decided long ago that he was _not _a good man. Even if Beth thought he was; genuinely _believed _that he was, he knew that he wasn't. She was the one that was wholesome and pure and sure, she might not be as innocent as he might have thought she was, but that girl was still a good girl and he would never be as good as someone like her.

Merle let out a long belch after finishing his sandwich, and the sound brought Daryl out of his thoughts. He pulled a face at his brother but Merle just grinned at him.

"So," he said, looking over at his brother with a devilish smirk. "Where we goin' tonight, baby brother?"

Daryl's mouth was still full when he responded.

"_We_?"

Merle frowned at that, and Daryl almost felt bad for a second.

But then he remembered that Merle was an asshole who had just showed up here at his house uninvited and just assumed that Daryl wouldn't be busy tonight. Or maybe Merle had even considered the fact that Daryl would have plans, but just assumed that he would drop whatever it was that he was supposed to be doing and just come running along behind Merle.

And a few years ago, Daryl would have probably done just that. Hell, maybe even a few months ago he would have done. But now Daryl had Beth Greene waiting on him to pick her up at eight o'clock, and she had mentioned the other day that she really wanted to go to see a movie in the city because a new movie theatre had just opened up and he would be damned if he wasn't going to take her there.

"What d'ya mean, boy?" Merle said, frustration evident on his features.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders casually as he finished off his food.

"I don't know what you're doin' or where you're goin' tonight, but I ain't comin' with you, Merle."

There, he'd said it. Daryl had told Merle straight and Merle was_ really_ frowning now and was looking straight at him, too. Daryl just looked right back at him and tried his best not to show a hint of emotion on his features.

A few long seconds passed by and then Merle was laughing and Daryl's lips would have probably twitched upwards at the sound had he not been so confused as to what his brother found funny.

"You really ain't comin' with me?" Merle asked once he had calmed down.

Daryl just shook his head no.

"An' why the fuck not, boy?"

Daryl took a deep breath in and tried to keep his face straight.

"Got a date."

Merle looked at him for a long few seconds. The moment was tense, but the silence didn't last long at all because Merle was laughing again and Daryl was throwing his head back against the couch, wishing that he could be anywhere else right about now. He had known for a while that he would have to tell Merle about Beth eventually, but that didn't necessarily mean that he wanted that to happen anytime soon.

It was times like these when he wished that his brother wasn't such an asshole.

"_You?_"

Daryl probably would have been offended had he not thought the same thing before. Daryl never went on dates with_ anyone, _and that was mostly down to the fact that he had never even wanted to go on a date before Beth. He'd never been inclined to - the women who he ended up sleeping with were just that: sex. They didn't need to be taken out to places or get to know him, and he didn't want to do any of that with them, anyway.

But Beth wasn't just some girl that you had sex with and then kicked out of your place. She was someone who you took out and treated well and Daryl wasn't sure that he would ever be able to be as good to her as some other guys in town, but if she was going to give him a chance then he would do his best to make sure that he kept her.

He nodded his head and his brother laughed again.

"An' who _exactly_ are you goin' on a date with?"

_Here it comes._

"You don't know her," he said simply.

Merle just raised his eyebrows at him.

"She's called Beth."

"Beth?" Merle said.

Her name sounded so strange in his brother's voice. Daryl wondered if he would ever get used to it.

"Yeah. Beth."

Merle was looking at him with narrowed eyes and Daryl just ignored the look that he was receiving. His brother took a long sip of his beer before he spoke again.

"Beth wha'?"

Daryl inhaled before he spoke in such a low tone that he was surprised if Merle would even be able to hear him properly.

"Beth Greene."

There was no response at first, and Daryl briefly wondered whether Merle had actually heard what he said or if he even knew who the Greene family was. But there had been no point in him hoping either of those things because just a short few seconds later, Merle's eyes were lit up with recognition and he was laughing louder than he had done before.

Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother again and stood up from the couch, grabbing both of their empty plates and stomping off into the kitchen with them. He dumped them in the sink and began running the tap, shaking his head as his brother continued to howl from the living room.

"Eee," Merle wheezed as he wiped his eyes, following Daryl into the kitchen. "Who woulda thought. My baby brother and sweet lil' Beth Greene, out on a date."

He was laughing again now as Daryl poured the washing up liquid into the sink. He grabbed a few more dirty pots from the side and placed them in along with the plates, his eyes never straying from the sight of the rising water. He really didn't want to look at Merle right now.

"Say, ain't she one of the nurses at the hospital?"

Daryl nodded his head once and Merle chuckled again.

"Damn, Darylina, how'd ya manage _that_? Ya could've at least let Ol' Merle know what ya was plannin'. Maybe I woulda milked it in there for a few days more if I woulda known you had a thing for nurses."

Daryl briefly wondered how many times he was going to roll his eyes during this conversation. He couldn't help but think that surely any normal grown man so close to turning fifty years old wouldn't react like this about it. Then again, he remembered that this was _Merle_ he was dealing with, not a normal grown man.

His brother might have been harmless, but that still didn't mean that he wasn't annoying as hell.

"Fuck off, Merle," Daryl spat. "It ain't _like_ that. I knew her already."

Merle whistled at that and Daryl groaned inwardly. He wasn't helping himself here at all.

"You did, huh? So how'd you an' Bo Peep meet then?"

Daryl started scrubbing at the dishes and ignored his brother's taunting for a few more moments. Sometimes he really didn't know why he even bothered with him anyway.

Merle really was a jackass.

"Cat got your tongue?" Merle teased.

Daryl huffed and gave his brother a look over his shoulder before he went back to scrubbing at the dishes.

"Changed her flat for her a while ago," he said, keeping the information at a bare minimum.

Merle whistled at that, too.

"Well, ain't you just a straight-up Prince Charmin', rescuin' a damsel in distress. Why didn't 'cha tell me some hot broad had come seen ya in the garage?"

Daryl just shook his head, frowning as he concentrated on scrubbing the grime from one of the forks. Merle made a strange noise in the back of his throat and Daryl briefly wondered if he was choking before he spoke again.

"Don't tell me ya found her on the side of the road." Daryl didn't say anything to that, just carried on scrubbing the fork, and then Merle was laughing again. "Jesus, Daryline, what are ya gettin' yerself into? Stoppin' at the side of the road and helpin' out poor lil' Beth Greene with her flat tire. Who knew ya was such a _sweetheart_?"

Daryl grit his teeth and didn't say anything more about it as he finished off cleaning the dishes. Merle stood leaning against the counter, watching him with a grin as he unplugged the sink and dried off the dishes.

"_Please_ tell me yer hittin' that," Merle said.

Daryl gave him a look and Merle held his hands up in surrender, laughing a little as he did so.

"Jus' sayin', boy," he smiled. "Don't need to get yer panties in such a twist. Time are ya leavin'?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders.

"Bout an hour, hour an' a half. Gonna go get ready now."

Merle nodded at that and took a long swig of his beer before throwing the empty bottle into the kitchen bin.

"So, when do I get to meet the lil' lady?" Daryl shuddered at the thought.

"If it's up to me, _never_," he said.

Merle just laughed again and walked back into the living room.

* * *

"Thank you again for tonight," Beth smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss to his lips.

Daryl was lay on his back and she was nestled at his side, leaning up on her elbows so that she could look at him. It was gone one in the morning and although they had returned from their date a few hours before, they were only just getting settled for bed.

There had been a time when Daryl had thought that Beth Greene was innocent and pure and sweeter than sweet. Sure, he'd found her attractive the first time that they'd met and thoughts of her had soon consumed his mind, but thinking about her in any compromising positions had made him feel so _dirty. _

But she carried on showing him time and time again that she wasn't as innocent and pure as everyone thought - although he had to admit, she really _did_ taste sweeter than sweet. Tonight had been another one of those nights where she had shown him just how naughty she really could be - especially when she was bent over his dining room table.

He just grunted at her in response as she positioned her head on top of his chest and wrapped her arm around his stomach. He wasn't the best at physical contact, but he was slowly getting used to it, and he had even started taking his shirt off around her. He was always extra careful to make sure that it was only in the dark and that she didn't catch a glimpse of his scarred back, but it was _something, _and Daryl was even starting to open up with her more. But he wasn't really _there_ yet, and it didn't seem like Beth had really noticed anything unusual about his back and the fact that she had never seen it so far.

That was a conversation for them to have another time when he felt ready.

"I forgot to ask," Beth said, tilting her head up slightly so that her hair tickled his chin. "Daddy told me to invite you round for dinner tomorrow. I know it might seem a little_ soon,_ but my daddy has always been real protective of us. I've told him and mama all about you an' I think they really want to meet you. You don't have to come, but I'd love it if you would."

Daryl was quiet for a few moments as he thought over her invitation. He remembered how upset Beth had been after her sister had broken the news about them, but she insisted it was because she wanted to be the one to tell her parents about her new relationship and not because she was embarrassed about being with him.

"'S Maggie gon' be there?" he asked.

Beth shook her head no.

"Daddy wouldn't be _that _cruel," she giggled.

He had never been in a relationship before but he knew what was expected of him and he knew that just like she would have to meet Merle sometime, he would have to meet her family too. Especially considering the fact that she was much closer to her family than he was to his.

Plus, Daryl had found that he was actually _serious _about Beth. He had never thought that he would be like this, especially so soon and with something so new. But now that she was here, he honestly couldn't ever see himself not wanting to have Beth Greene in his life. Daryl knew that he might have done shitty things in the past and he knew that he would never be good enough for her, but he also knew that he would do whatever it took to keep that damn smile that did stupid things to his brain on her face.

"Alright," he said, nodding his head once.

He might not have been comfortable with the idea, but she had made it clear that she wanted him to go and if that's what she wanted, then that's what she'd get. It was dark and her head was on his chest so he couldn't see her face, but Daryl could _feel _her grinning and he'd be damned if he said that that didn't feel good.

Beth let out a happy little sigh and nuzzled herself further into him.

"Thank you, Daryl," she whispered.

Daryl bent his head down and buried his nose in her hair for a long moment before placing a kiss to her hairline. He knew that tomorrow wasn't going to be the most exciting day of his life - in fact, he was getting pretty nervous already - but he reminded himself once more that so long as she was happy, it didn't matter.

Even if it meant meeting her folks.

* * *

**There it is! Merle is back on the scene, as promised.**

**I received a few interesting ideas - one in particular from DarylDixonsLover, who suggested that Merle and Carol get together . I've read that pairing in a few fics and I think it's an interesting one that would be quite fun to write, so I decided to go along with it in this story, too. I'm pretty sure all of you will have guessed that with the hints from this chapter because they were NOT very subtle (at all), but if you didn't pick up on that, then yeah... that's where I'm going with this. I'm not sure if I'll go into much detail about their relationship but it will be there, kind of on the sidelines of this story.**

**I'm thinking about writing the family dinner in the next chapter. Is that something you would like to see? Please review and let me know!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I got such a positive response to the last chapter and I'm so grateful for how kind you are to me! I still think you're all far too nice. I really appreciate you all taking the time to not only read but also review my chapters and let me know what you think of them. **

**True to my word, this chapter contains the family dinner. I ended up writing this on my phone thought and I'm not one hundred percent happy with it for that reason but I just wanted to get an update out there because I'm working all weekend and probably won't get time to get on my laptop anyway. I hope you all still enjoy it, anyway. **

**Also, the first part of this chapter - you guessed it - contains smut. Please scroll down to the second part if you aren't into that sort of stuff!**

* * *

For the first time ever, Beth woke up before Daryl.

They had spent a few nights together now and she was quickly learning of little habits and quirks that made him who he was and she couldn't help but she was beginning to fall in love with him. Sure, he was gruff and rugged and he didn't speak much at all but what he didn't tell her with words, he told her with his eyes and his body language and his general actions and Beth was starting to understand what he was saying to her, even when he wasn't speaking.

She slowly moved her head from where it was buried in his neck and propped herself up on her elbows so that she could get a good look at him. His shaggy brown hair had been growing quickly and was a lot longer than it had been when she first met him the night that he changed her tire. Beth couldn't help but reach out and brush it from his face, smiling when he leaned in to her touch in his sleep.

Beth had thought that he was attractive but now she thought that he was _handsome. _She wondered how many other girls in town thought it, too, because she couldn't help but marvel at his strong arms and broad shoulders and those big hands that did the dirtiest things to her. His eyes were closed now as he slept but sometimes when he looked at her she felt like she was going to melt because they were just so_ blue;_ and such a pretty blue, too. Daryl's blue eyes were a much deeper colour than her own and Beth wondered where he got them from because she recalled his brother's being much paler.

Daryl didn't speak much about his childhood or his parents and Beth still wasn't pushing him on it. She was being patient and she would wait until he was ready to tell her whatever it was that he had been through. Daryl had relaxed around her now and was used to her constant physical touches, but there were still times when she would brush against him or get too close when he wasn't expecting it and he would flinch or jump, his eyes widening and his body stiffening as though he was ready to attack.

Beth couldn't help but wonder what it was that had made him the way he was, but it wasn't her place to pry and she knew it. She pushed thoughts of what had happened to Daryl away and locked them up for another day. She was sure he would tell her eventually; and even if he never did, she supposed that it would be alright anyway.

Daryl was still flat out asleep and Beth wondered how because he always seemed to wake up as soon as the sun did. Flashbacks from their antics the night before appeared in her mind and she couldn't help but blush as she remembered how late it was when they had finally gotten to sleep.

The memory of the night before put a devilish smirk on her face and she remembered that Daryl had agreed to come to dinner at the farm later that evening. She was suddenly overcome with the urge to do something nice for him - after all, he was always doing nice things for her - and so she dipped her head underneath the covers and slowly began rubbing her hands over his crotch.

Daryl had gone to sleep in his boxers and she felt him stirring as she touched him through the material. She couldn't help but smirk as she tugged his underwear down a little, just enough to reveal the tip of him to her. Beth had never done anything like this before, but she had read enough magazines and listened to her friends (her sister in particular) talking about how to do it, so she supposed she had a good idea of where to begin.

Beth let her tongue slide over the tip of him and then she knew he was awake. She felt his upper body shift as he tried to look down at her, but she was hidden beneath the covers and was busy positioning herself comfortably between his legs and he couldn't get a glimpse of her. Beth began to flick at the head of his dick with her tongue and she heard him groan in pleasure before his head plopped back against the pillows once more.

Daryl murmured her name and Beth couldn't help but smile wickedly as she tugged his boxers further down. He lifted his hips to assist her and in doing so nudged more of him into her mouth. Beth's eyes widened at the intrusion and Daryl hissed at the sensation but she didn't stop. Instead, she began to suck on it and let her tongue swirl around it as she wrapped one of her hands around the length of him.

She continued like that for a few more minutes, edging more and more of him into her mouth until she couldn't fit him in any more. She had heard of deep throating before but it wasn't something she felt comfortable doing in that moment and it didn't sound like it was the most pleasurable thing for her, anyway. She supposed that this was more about Daryl than her, but Beth couldn't help but notice just how _wet _she was getting as she continued to please him with her mouth and her tongue.

Daryl began to moan her name louder and louder and she felt him harden in her mouth. Beth knew he was close and began to bob her head and flick her wrist at a faster pace. She suddenly felt a chill of air as Daryl flung the covers from over her head and she looked up from where she was positioned in between his legs, keeping her mouth wrapped around him and her hand pumping as she did so. Daryl was propped up on his elbows watching her work away and he said her name one more time along with several expletives before he came inside of her mouth.

Beth was shocked at the taste of him but she moaned as he filled her and she swallowed every bit of him down. Daryl's legs were quivering and he was breathing heavily when she eventually removed him from her mouth, flicking her tongue over the head of him several times more before she finally let him go from her hand. She crawled up the bed and offered him a dazzling smile, watching as he shook his head at her.

"Good morning," she grinned, placing a kiss to his cheek.

She pulled away from him but he quickly brought his hands up to cup her face and brought her back down to kiss him firmly on the lips.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Beth asked as they pulled up outside the farmhouse.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he grunted.

Beth smiled at that and removed her seat belt, leaning over from the passenger side to steal a quick kiss before they left the vehicle.

Beth led the way up the porch steps to where her daddy was waiting for her, as always. Daryl's truck drove a lot smoother than hers and was quieter, too, but Hershel must have heard them approaching anyway. Beth greeted her father with a hug before she turned around and gestured to Daryl.

"Daddy, this is Daryl," she said, motioning between the two men. "Daryl, this is my daddy."

Hershel smiled at Daryl who nodded his head at the older man.

"Nice to finally meet you, Daryl," Hershel said.

As the farmer spoke, he stuck his hand out for Daryl to shake. Beth watched as Daryl looked at him for a moment longer before he placed his hand in his and shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you too, sir," Daryl said.

Hershel chuckled at that.

"Please," he said. "Call me Hershel."

Daryl nodded his head and Beth couldn't help but beam at him as her father led the way into the farmhouse, telling them both that he hoped that they were hungry because Annette had gone a little bit crazy with the food.

That didn't surprise Beth. Her mother loved cooking and she was good at it, too, and she could never help herself when it came to portion sizes. The family always joked around that they were surprised any of them were skinny considering the amount that Annette cooked. Shawn had pointed out once that her daddy's farm hand, Otis, wasn't exactly on the small side; but Annette had shot him down with a glare and he had never brought it up again.

Before any of them could enter the kitchen, Annette was rushing through the hallway to greet Beth with a hug.

"Bethy!" she squealed as she pulled her daughter in. "How are you, sweetheart? It feels like it's been_ forever_."

The Greene family was close, and Beth had tried explaining that to Daryl, but she wasn't sure he understood just_ how_ close they all were. Annette knew most of Beth's secrets and even though Beth was still hurt by her sister's actions, she would still admit that the two of them were best friends. It had nearly broke her mother's heart when Shawn had moved all the way to the city for work, and she was constantly complaining that he was too far away from them all.

Beth knew that Shawn missed home, too - she often wondered just how on earth he coped doing his own washing and cleaning and cooking. He called her every now and then, and they usually texted a lot - mostly because Shawn couldn't remember how to do certain things that he didn't want to ask him mother for fear of her scolding him or driving all the way up just to help him out. The latest of those texts consisted of him asking her what the difference was between the oven and the grill.

"It's only been a week, mama," Beth giggled.

Annette pulled back and looked like she was just about to say something else to her daughter before her eyes drifted to Daryl, who was stood a little bit behind Beth. Beth looked at her mother for a moment before turning to face Daryl over her shoulder, offering him a soft smile of encouragement.

"So this is the famous Daryl Dixon," Annette said, removing her hands from where they had been placed on her daughter's shoulders and scooting closer to Daryl.

Daryl just nodded his head at her and Beth swore that she saw him blushing.

"Ma'am," he said, and Annette smiled.

"Please, Daryl," she said, approaching him and pulling him in for a hug. "Call me Annette."

Beth could tell that Daryl was shocked by the contact, but he didn't say anything about it. Her mother told him that she was so glad to have finally met him and that she had heard so much about him, but Daryl didn't look exactly thrilled to hear that.

"All good things," her mother reassured him before she turned around to face her daughter and husband.

"I hope you're all hungry," she said before leading the way into the kitchen.

Dinner wasn't awkward at all and Beth hoped that Daryl thought so, too. She could tell that he was making a conscious effort to speak more than he usually did, even if that still wasn't a lot, and he had even complimented her mama's cooking. Both women had beamed at that and Annette had given Beth a knowing look.

Beth had already told her father a few things about Daryl, but he seemed adamant about confirming them all. She didn't doubt that her father believed her and she wondered whether his questions were an attempt to make Daryl feel more comfortable.

Whether it was or it wasn't, Beth appreciated the effort nonetheless. She had known that Hershel wouldn't just judge Daryl the same way Maggie did and that he would at least give him a chance before the older man decided if he was a good person. Her father had always been good at reading people and she had always marvelled at just how wise he was, too.

She supposed that wisdom was something that came with time and experience, and Hershel had had his fair share of both. Beth only hoped that she would one day be as wise and loving as her father.

"So, Bethy tells me you're a mechanic," Hershel said.

Daryl took a sip of his drink and just nodded his head in confirmation.

"Where is it you work?"

Her daddy already knew that, and so did her mama. It was questions like those that were making her more and more confident that her father's intentions were more to prove that he was making an effort to get to know the younger man and also that he was genuinely interested in what Daryl had to say about his life.

"Dale's garage, in town," Daryl said, and it was Hershel's turn to nod his head.

"I know Dale," Hershel said. "Nice man. It's such a shame about his wife. Did you know her?"

"Not very well," Daryl admitted.

"It's a shame you never got the chance to meet her properly, Beth," Annette sighed. "You won't remember Dale, but he used to come around here when you were a lot younger. He hasn't been the same since she passed."

"Daryl's a good friend of Rick Grimes, too," Beth said.

Both Hershel and Annette raised their eyebrows at that and Beth couldn't help but smile at Daryl from across the table. That was something she hadn't told her parents because she had only found it out for herself recently and it had completely slipped her mind until now. Daryl's eyes glanced over her face for a second before his lips turned upwards, too.

"Do ya mind me askin' how you know Rick?" Hershel asked.

Daryl shook his head no.

"Rick's a lil' older than me, but I went to school with his cousin. We weren't from the same part of town, but we was always knockin' 'bout together, 'long with my older brother. That was 'fore he left town, though, t' join the army, and Rick's cousin moved away for college when he got the chance. Ended up jus' bein' me an Rick."

Hershel looked thoughtful but didn't say anything else for a while, eating his food in silence whilst Annette took over the conversation.

"Rick's a fine gentleman," she said. "A real lovely man. It's such a shame to hear that he's not havin' an easy time at the moment. You be sure to take care of him as best you can."

"Yes, ma'am," Daryl nodded.

Annette nodded her head once and Beth couldn't help but grin.

After they had eaten, Beth offered to help her mama wash the dishes whilst her daddy asked if he could speak to Daryl in the living room. Beth was dying to press her ear to the door and listen to what the two men were talking about, but her mother had saw right through her and told her not to even think about it.

"I'm sure Daryl will tell you, anyway," she had said, and Beth just nodded her head.

"What do you think of him?" Beth asked as she began washing the dishes, impatient to hear what her mama had to say about him. It might have seemed silly and childish, but Beth had been hoping that her parents would take a liking to Daryl, especially after all of the things that Maggie had said to shine a negative light on him.

Annette smiled at her daughter, probably seeing right through her intentions. Her mama knew her so well and Beth knew that she would be honest with her about her opinion of Daryl. She had a good heart and kind intentions, but she also could be brutally honest when she wanted to be and Beth didn't think that her mother had ever told a lie to her before - not even to spare her feelings.

"He seems nice enough," she finally said. "Quieter than I thought he would be."

"Daryl's just shy," Beth said nonchalantly as she scrubbed the pots. "He talks more when you get to know him."

Annette nodded her head in understanding. Beth supposed it was true; Daryl definitely talked to her more now, even if other people wouldn't consider it to be a lot. But she was beginning to consider his actions as a way of him taking to her, because when she thought about it, she supposed that they were.

And since Daryl did a lot of nice things for her - like bring her special food for the plant that he had given to her, and prepare a romantic date in the woods for her, and fix odd things around her apartment that she had just forgotten to do, and change her flat by the side of the road when he didn't even know her - she supposed that he did talk to her a lot more.

"Do you think he's the one?"

Beth blushed at that.

"Mama!"

"What?" Annette laughed. "Well, do you?"

Beth shrugged her shoulders as she passed her mama a plate to dry.

"I don't know," she said. "Stop askin' me stuff like that 'bout every guy I bring round here."

Beth's words were serious but she couldn't help but grin at her mother's knowing expression. It was true, though - she did _always _do this. Beth supposed that she was just excited that her youngest daughter was back on the dating scene. After all, it had been a while, and her previous love interests hadn't been the best of choices for her.

"Do you love him?"

Beth didn't answer that straight away, thinking the question over in her head as she washed the next dish.

"I don't think so," she finally said. "Not yet. But I think - no, I _know - _that I'm falling in love with him."

Annette gave her daughter a knowing look and Beth couldn't help but blush. She had always been close with her mother and felt confident that she could tell her anything.

"I can tell," Annette said as she started drying the next plate that Beth passed her. "I can tell he feels the same, too. The way he looks at you..."

Beth's cheeks were on fire again and her mama was laughing now.

"I'm happy," Beth finally said, grinning at her mother. "I'm really, _really _happy, mama."

She bit her lip before she continued.

"Daryl makes me happy."

Annette was thoughtful for a moment, concentrating on drying the dish before she spoke again.

She looked at Beth with soft eyes and a warm smile that Beth couldn't help but return.

"I know, sweetheart," she said. "I know."

* * *

Beth huffed as Daryl shook his head at her.

"Please, Daryl," she begged.

All she wanted to know was what her daddy had said to him. They had left the farmhouse not long before and Daryl was now dropping Beth off at her apartment, unable to stay because they both had work early. This week, Beth's shifts were six in the morning until two in the afternoon whilst Daryl carried on with his typical eight until five.

She knew that she would probably end up staying at his sometime during the week, but she didn't want to overstay her welcome. Besides, all of her work things were at home and she wanted to have a shower and straighten her hair before work in the morning.

"It don't matter, Beth," he shrugged.

She knew that, but it didn't make her any less curious.

"I just want to know," she told him, pouting a little.

Daryl laughed at that and she couldn't help but grin when he placed a kiss to her lips.

"Then ask yer daddy," he told her before smirking and walking into the living room to grab his bag of clothes that she had washed for him.

He had insisted that he could do it himself, but it was all things that he had left at her apartment and Beth couldn't help but want to do it for him. There was something so domestic about it and she secretly enjoyed it. She had kept one of his flannel shirts for herself, though - her favourite one, a green and navy one that she was sure he had been wearing the night that they first met. Beth didn't tell him that she had kept it but she knew that Daryl would probably know considering he saw her wear it to bed almost every night that he was here, but he never mentioned it to her.

Beth knew that he liked seeing her in his shirts though, because whenever they stayed together and she wore her own pajamas, he went out of his way to make sure that he could get them off her somehow, and then he would always end up offering her one of his to wear to bed instead. Beth always accepted, never letting him know that she knew what he was up to. If she told him, she would probably embarrass him and scare him off and he might not do it again - and Beth thought it was cute whenever he did.

Beth sighed in defeat and followed him from where she had been leaning against the kitchen sink.

"When will I see you again?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing up on her tiptoes so that she could be closer to his height.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and looked down at her.

"Whenever ya want," he told her.

Beth grinned at that.

"Really?" she asked, placing a quick kiss to his lips.

Daryl pulled back and frowned at her.

"Yer my girl, ain't ya?" he asked, and Beth just nodded her head. "Then why wouldn't ya see me whenever you wanted to?"

He looked genuinely confused and Beth almost felt bad for asking him in the first place.

"I just... I don't want to annoy you or be too pushy and clingy with you or anything. I know that I probably can be a little bit annoyin' sometimes and I just don't want ya to feel like -"

Daryl cut her off with a kiss. It was a longer kiss this time and Beth couldn't help but get butterflies in her stomach as he kissed her. She loved kissing him in general but it was even better whenever Daryl initiated the contact.

"Yer right," he said to her once he had broke the kiss. "Your presence is annoyin'. Wha', with yer constant yackin' on 'bout things, always wit' some silly smile on your face, an' that goddamned happy attitude. _Shit_," he said, and Beth quickly realised that he was teasing her. "That's the worst bit about ya."

Beth rolled her eyes and kissed him once more before she released him from her grip and hopped back down so that she was flat on her feet.

"You know what I meant," she told him, shaking her head. "I just don't wanna be overbearin', is all."

"Ya ain't," he said bluntly before he made his way to her front door.

"Alright," she told him, following closely behind him. "Then I guess I'll probably be seein' you soon."

Daryl nodded his head and she smiled up at him.

"Ya better be, girl."

The things he said to her weren't much - they weren't big long sentences about how much he cared for her and how he was incomplete without her and how he wanted nothing more in the world than to just be with her and her alone. But they were special in their own way and she felt her heart pound whenever he said something like that to her.

It might not have been much to anyone else, but to Beth, it was everything. He was still quiet and thoughtful and reserved but he was coming out of his shell around her and she couldn't help but feel like she was having a little bit of an influence on him in terms of his communication skills.

"I had a really nice day and evening, Daryl," she said as she leaned against the door frame. "Thank you."

"Ain't nothin'," he dismissed her. "Hell, ain't like I even did anythin', anyway."

Beth frowned a little at that.

"You did," she told him. "I'm so glad you came round to meet my family. I really appreciate it and I know that my daddy and my mama really liked you, too."

Daryl snorted at that before leaning down and giving her a quick kiss goodbye.

"Better be goin'," he said, and Beth nodded her head.

"Drive safely," she smiled before she waved him off, closing the door and locking it behind her once she had seen him disappear down the stairs of the apartment block.

Beth let out a happy sigh before she made her way to her bedroom, stripping off from her jeans and plain black tee into Daryl's flannel shirt and snuggling underneath the covers.

* * *

**Just a fluffy little chapter for you all. I think I'll have Beth and Maggie confront each other again in the next chapter. **

**So, who wants to see Beth meet Merle? I'm definitely interested in writing that, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Should I have him drop by one evening when she's at Daryl's house? Or should he come to the hospital when she's working? Or would she just be out of the house in general and bump into him in a random place? There's so many options and I'd love for you to give me some ideas so please let me know if you have any!**

**Oh, and please review this chapter and let me know what you think! I love receiving your feedback!**


	15. Chapter 15

**So this chapter has been a _little _bit of a disaster for me. I always write a few chapters at one time and then edit them over the course of a few days (which, for those of you who have expressed an interest, is my 'secret' for being able to update so fast. Not that I think I do, but a few of you seem to think so!), and whilst editing this chapter I ended up accidentally closing it without saving my changes. TWICE. In one day. So it's been a bit of a nightmare. I also ended up finishing it on my phone, so I'm not sure I'm that happy with it, but I had just seen enough of it and wanted to throw it out there. **

**This chapter is unfortunately without any Bethyl fluff. I did want to say that so far this story has been very much light-hearted and filled with plenty of fluff and I intend to keep it that way. I do imagine I'll write more Bethyl stories which may or may not include more angst and drama, but this is just a fun little story to satisfy my desperate need for a happy ending for my favourite ship. **

**So as much as I apologise for the lack of Daryl Dixon in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless, because it's been a pain in the arse for me to get it out here to you!**

* * *

"So when_ exactly_ were you plannin' on tellin' me about you and Daryl Dixon?"

Beth jumped slightly from where she was huddled on the old couch in the staff room. She was wrapped in a thick blanket that she had brought from home because even in the peak of the summer, the staff room never seemed to get even remotely warm, with a textbook sprawled across her lap. The book fell onto the floor with a loud thud as a result of her sudden movement and Beth raised a hand to her heart as Noah chuckled from his position at the door.

A small smile graced her features and try as she might to fight it, it was practically impossible. Beth had always been told that she constantly had a smile on her face and that fact was definitely true whenever Noah was around. Even if he was a little dorky sometimes, he was funny and the two of them just seemed to _get _each other.

Their relationship had always been platonic and thoughts of Noah being anything but her friend made her frown. The pair had known each other since they started college together and they always seemed to end up in the same classes and on the same placements, and their classmates just assumed that they were together. Neither of them had realised at first and it was only when one of the girls who she barely knew had approached her telling her that she was really sorry but she had slept with her boyfriend that Beth had realised. She had been so confused and insisted that Zach and her had just broken up a few days ago, but the girl just shook her head and told her that she had been so drunk and Noah had just been there.

When Beth told Noah, he had looked absolutely mortified, but they laughed it off together. They may not have been best friends, but they were still close and Beth still told him a lot. She had been pleased to hear that he had been kept on at the hospital, and even if they didn't work many shifts together because he always seemed to be starting work when she was finishing, she liked knowing that there was a friendly face roaming the halls somewhere.

And it had been a while since they had seen each other last and Beth felt a little bit guilty for not telling him all about Daryl. She had been so caught up in it all that she never even gave it a second thought, and Noah had clearly found out from someone else. It wasn't the way that she wanted one of her good friends to know things about her, but there was nothing she could do now.

So she just shrugged her shoulders and gave Noah a playful smirk.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," she said.

Noah chuckled at that as he crossed the room towards the fridge and bent down to its level, rummaging around inside of it to find his dinner. He let out a pleased sound when he found a plastic bag that had his name written across in permanent marker and kicked the fridge door to a shut.

"That so?" he asked.

Beth just nodded her head as she reached across the floor to grab her textbook. It was a bit of a struggle and she had to wiggle her fingers a little and stretch as far as she could so that she didn't have to move off the chair - even though that probably would have been quicker and taken less effort - and grinned when she grabbed hold of it by the spine and pulled it back onto her lap.

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p'.

Noah invited himself to sit beside her on the couch and began rummaging through the bag, pulling out a sandwich wrapped in tinfoil. He made quick work of freeing it and didn't hesitate to dive in, speaking to her with his mouth full.

"'Chu lyin' for?"

Beth sighed at that and closed the textbook that she had opened once more, deciding that the page she was reading was now lost and that she wouldn't get much reading done with Noah as company, anyway.

She briefly recalled how she used to have to nag him to study with her and she wondered just how well he would have done at college if it wasn't for her. Not that she was being big headed or taking the credit for his hard work; because Noah was an intelligent man.

It was just that he wasn't exactly... Motivated. Even his mother had thanked her not long ago for giving him the push he needed to spend a few hours of the week in the library.

"There's not much to tell," Beth explained, and Noah just nodded his head as he chewed.

"I see how it is," he retorted playfully.

Beth stood up from where she was sat and whacked him playfully on the arm with the book as she walked past him. He shouted more than a little over dramatically and she just laughed.

"Dang it, that thing is heavier than it looks."

Beth laughed again and shook her head as she placed the book carefully in her bag which was hanging from one of the coat pegs on the wall.

"Really though," Noah said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Beth paused for a moment before she zipped her bag back up and turned to face him, shrugging her shoulders simply.

She knew the truth and she thought that he probably knew it, too.

It wasn't that she thought that Noah would judge her, because deep down, she knew that he just wasn't the type. Beth only had a few friends who she believed wouldn't judge Daryl just from the stories that floated around town, and Noah had been one of them.

It was more that she was scared. It had been a long time since she had been in a relationship and her break ups with both Zach and Jimmy had been messy. Noah had seen her through both and whilst he had been a good shoulder to cry on - a sort of big brother figure who wasn't as over-protective as Shawn - Beth had felt incredibly guilty about putting everything on him.

And it wasn't that she could see her and Daryl breaking up. She was so happy with him and she knew that he was happy with her, too. She could see it in the way that he gave her little smiles and plant food and she could feel it in the way he kissed her and held her close.

But it was still a nagging thought in the back of her mind that she couldn't put this on him. Beth had been particularly low after her break up with Zach and Noah had watched her crumble and build herself back up again. Now that she was with someone again - in a relationship again - she wondered whether Noah would think that she would eventually return to that weak girl that she had been before.

"Ya know, I don't mind Daryl that much."

Beth felt horrible.

Noah obviously thought that she hadn't told him because she thought that he would judge him. He must have done or he wouldn't have said those exact words in that exact tone to suggest that he was a little bit hurt that she didn't seem to think that, too.

And Beth wanted to tell Noah that she knew that. Of course she knew that; because Noah was understanding and easy going and not interested in anyone else's lives. Goodness, sometimes he wasn't even heavily invested in his own.

But she didn't because she was taken aback and she briefly wondered what else had made Noah say that.

She didn't ask him, but he must have seen the question in her eyes. He cleared his throat and shifted a little awkwardly on the couch.

"I, er... He changed a flat for me," Noah admitted. "Saw me stuck at the side of the road. Didn't even know there was a spare tire in the car. He pulled over and helped me out. Didn't say much, but I thought he seemed alright."

Her blue eyes were so wide and her mouth was hanging open, too. It wasn't that she was shocked that Daryl would do something like that for someone because he had done it for her, after all. It was more the fact that it was so strange that Noah should meet him in the same way that she did.

Beth briefly wondered just how many people got stuck changing their flat tires and had to be saved by a passing Daryl Dixon. She doubted that she had been the first, and now she knew she hadn't been the last, either.

"Oh," was all that she could say, and then she was giggling. "Wow. I never... Oh."

Noah looked at her for a long moment, seeming to be a little bit confused and nervous. His brown eyes shifted around the room as if to see if anyone else was there to let him know whatever was so funny that had Beth now creased over in a fit of laughter, but there wasn't, of course.

So he smiled a little awkwardly and couldn't help but laugh along with her after a few seconds. Beth knew he didn't know what they were laughing at. She wasn't even sure that she knew.

All she knew was that she was sure that Daryl Dixon wasn't as bad as everyone else made out, and she was pleased Noah seemed to know that, too.

* * *

Even though she had spent months working at the hospital to gain experience on her course, she had never really felt like she belonged here. Now that she was really part of the team - the managers had even started writing her name on the rota's in black ink instead of pencil - she was beginning to feel more and more comfortable around the place. Faces were starting to become more familiar and some of her colleagues were actually starting to call her by her first name instead of just grunting at her or waving her over with exaggerated hand and arm movements.

But that didn't mean that Beth still knew her way around the hospital. She was glad that she had given herself plenty of time to get back out from her lunch break because she somehow managed to get herself lost for the third time that week. The first person to notice her presence was Carol, who didn't look to be in all too good of a mood.

"There you are," she said, seeming slightly out of breath. "I need your help in here."

Beth just nodded her head and made quick work of following the older woman into one of the rooms where a man that she recognised to be Glenn was lay on the bed, wires attached all over his body to help him breathe.

She let out a gasp and turned to face Carol with wide eyes.

"What's happened?" she asked, worry evident on her features.

"He was attacked," Carol said.

There was no emotion in her voice as she explained to Beth the extent of Glenn's injuries. She clearly didn't realise that Beth knew Glenn or she probably wouldn't have been as graphic as she explained how he had apparently been followed to his home and then attacked as he opened the door, allowing the men to rob most of the belongings from his apartment after they had given him a good beating.

Beth wanted to ask Carol how she knew all of this, but she couldn't speak as she stared at Glenn. Carol gave her a strange look before she went over and set to work inspecting his injuries, but Beth couldn't concentrate on Glenn in that moment.

She couldn't help but remember the fact that this man had been practically living with her sister and if he had been attacked on his way into the house, then where was Maggie?

It just so happened that Beth need not panic as Carol was soon stating that Glenn had been with a friend who had brought him down to the hospital but then had to leave for work, and then she was asking her to head over to Karen and get her to contact someone for him.

Beth just nodded her head, still a little shocked and worried, and made her way over to Karen's desk, passing on Glenn's details to her. Karen nodded her head and went to dial the number that was down as an emergency contact, but Beth couldn't help but stop her.

"I know that he probably has one of his parents down as a contact," she began to explain. "But Mr Rhee is actually datin' my sister, and I kinda remember her mentionin' that his parents were goin' on some round-the-world trip to celebrate their anniversary around this time. If they don't answer, then would ya be able to ring this number instead?"

Karen nodded her head as Beth scribbled down Maggie's number, not needing to check it against the one she had in her phone because she knew it by heart. She offered Karen a kind smile as she passed her the paper and thanked her before walking back into the room where Glenn was being treated.

"Is everything alright, Beth?" Carol asked with a frown when she returned.

Beth smiled at her and just nodded her head up and down, perhaps a little too quickly. The older woman looked her over for a few seconds before asking her if she would be able to go and help Doctor S who was struggling to keep one of his patients in bed whilst he ran some tests on him.

* * *

She spent the rest of her shift helping Doctor S and was so busy with her patients that she didn't even get a chance to think about Glenn until her shift was over.

Perhaps that was a lie. Beth wasn't able to get the sight of Glenn's bruised and swollen body out of her mind, but she had to lock it away whilst she got on with her work. She reminded herself that it was important for her to concentrate on what she was doing at all times and as much as she was worried for Glenn, she knew that he would be being taken care of.

Once Doctor S let her know that she could get going, Beth hurried back down the ward to find the room that Glenn was in. It took her a few times of walking in to the wrong room and apologising to all of the people who just looked at her with confused faces, but eventually she popped her head round the right door.

She supposed that she should have really been expecting to see her sister sat there in a chair beside Glenn's bedside, but she couldn't help but jump a little at the sight of Maggie.

Her sister spotted her almost straight away, ruining Beth's plan to dive out of the room and sprint away as though she had never been there at all. Beth felt a pang of guilt explode in her stomach at the sight of Maggie's tear stained face, but she pushed it away like she had pushed the curiosity away all day. Glenn was still flat out of it and Beth just glanced from where he was lay to Maggie and back to Glenn again.

Neither of the girls said anything for a few moments; both just eventually settling on staring blankly at the other. Beth had no idea what to say and was glad when Maggie opened her mouth to speak first.

"Hey."

Maybe it was wrong to still feel anger and fury, but she couldn't help it. Beth wasn't sure what she had been expecting her sister to say, but it wasn't that. Maybe an "I'm sorry" or a "please forgive me", but not just a "hey".

But Beth knew that her sister was stubborn as a mule - more stubborn that her or Shawn had ever been - and that she would be lucky to get an apology ever.

Beth decided to just nod her head once at her sister, almost wanting to laugh at how she was quickly beginning to pick up on Daryl's mannerisms and use them herself. She could picture him doing the same thing in the same situation and the thought almost made her smile.

Almost.

And part of her felt a little silly, but what else was she supposed to say? She hadn't seen Maggie since they had fought and they hadn't spoken to each other, either. They were so used to texting near enough every day if they didn't speak over the phone, and now that she thought about it, this was probably the longest that they had ever gone without communicating.

It might have been a little harsh of her, but Beth couldn't help but think that Maggie had nobody else to blame for that but herself. It hurt Beth to argue with her sister but deep down she knew that she couldn't reason with her.

Maggie had a tendency to act without thinking and this was just another one of those times. She couldn't go around making excuses for her sister's behaviour - she had been out of order and had betrayed her in a way she never would have expected her to.

But that didn't mean that Beth didn't love her and that she would hate her forever because of it.

"Sit down," Maggie said, patting the empty chair next to where she was positioned.

Beth swallowed and made her way over to the seat, taking her time to sit down as though she was worried that any sudden movements may cause Maggie to erupt in a fit of rage once more.

One of her sister's hands sat in her lap, clenching a scrunched-up tissue tightly. The other arm was outstretched, holding one of Glenn's hands in her own.

"They said he's gettin' better already," she said. "He might even wake up real soon. Could be any minute."

Beth nodded her head again at that. She didn't want to be completely ignorant when it came to Glenn's condition. After all, it had been her sister who had been out of order, not Glenn; and she was genuinely concerned for him.

"Why would someone do this to him?"

Her voice cracked as she spoke and Beth felt the overwhelming urge to reach out and hug her sister.

But she didn't. Everything was too raw right now and as much as she wanted to, she just _couldn't. _

Beth just shook her head in response, not sure of what to say to that. Why do some people do anything? Cruel things happened every day that Beth couldn't explain and she wished that she could offer her sister some reassuring words in an attempt to comfort her, but nothing came.

Selfish as it was, all Beth could think of in that moment was the way in which her sister had hurt her. Maybe not physically like these attackers had done to Glenn, but certainly emotionally.

"Bethy," Maggie said after a long moment of silence.

Beth didn't make eye contact with her sister, instead choosing to look straight at Glenn, watching the way his chest would rise and fall as he breathed.

"Bethy, I know that you're angry with me." Maggie's lip was quivering again, but for a different reason this time. "A-and I know that you don't forgive me, or understand... I was just tryin' to help."

The problem was that Maggie actually believed that. She genuinely thought that she was doing right by Beth and that her heart was in the right place. And maybe Beth could understand that had she not gone about it in such a horrible way.

A few more beats of silence passed between them again. Beth didn't want to hear her sister's excuses, but it seemed like Maggie was intent on giving them to her.

"You've never been like me," she said, her voice cracking. "Never. And I don't want you to be like me, either. An' sneakin' around with _him... _It ain't you, Beth, an' you know it."

Beth frowned at that, but still refused to look up at her sister. Her sad blue eyes never strayed from Glenn's body.

"I don't wanna be anythin' but _happy, _Mags," Beth finally said. "I just wish you would see that Daryl makes me just that."

It was quiet again for a minute or two, and Beth was pretty sure by the way that she could see her shoulders shaking from the corner of her eye and the little sniffles that filled the room that Maggie was crying once more.

Beth briefly wondered whether it was her words or Glenn's condition that she was crying over right now. Maybe both.

"I guess I just never pictured my little sister bein' with someone so... _bad,_" Maggie said in almost a whisper.

That was enough.

Beth was technically still at work and Maggie was in a state as she sat by her badly beaten boyfriends bedside, and she was pretty sure that nobody would appreciate her having another shouting match with her sister right here, right now.

But then Beth quickly decided that never mind not being the right place, it wasn't the right time, either. Maggie could make an effort to talk to her whenever she wanted; it didn't have to be whilst Glenn was lay in a hospital bed, struggling to breathe by himself.

Beth knew that her sister didn't understand her relationship with Daryl but she also knew that it didn't give her the right to be so patronising and judgemental. Daryl had been nothing but good to her and if Maggie just gave him a chance the way that her mama and daddy had then she would know that, too.

But Beth also decided in that moment not to worry about it anymore. If her sister was still bothered about this when her own boyfriend was in such poor condition then there was clearly no changing her mind and Beth couldn't help but think that it was her loss.

It was Maggie's loss because Daryl was a good man. He was kind and sweet and gentle with her, too. He did nice things for her; like cooked her meals and took her on dates and paid for everything, too. He helped fix things round her apartment that she had just never got round to sorting and he taught her how to do little things with her car - like how to change a flat tire, just in case he wasn't there to save her.

Beth expected the whispers and the looks from the people in town as she walked down the street or pushed her cart around the supermarket. She expected their rude comments and their harsh glances. But she didn't expect her sister to be the same, and since she was, she didn't want to talk to her anymore.

"Please don't go," Maggie said as Beth stood up and made her way towards the door.

Maggie was sobbing now but Beth didn't know what to do. She couldn't stay here and listen to her sister speak about the man she cared about so deeply like this.

Beth kept reminding herself that Maggie didn't know Daryl - probably never would know Daryl - and that more than anything, it was her own fault if she wanted to push her sister away by never giving him a chance.

"I hope he wakes up soon," was all Beth said before she left the room.

Maggie whimpered audibly as Beth shut the door behind her. She paused outside of the room long enough to hear her sister wailing by Glenn's bedside and she made quick time of rushing off to the staff room to collect her belongings.

Part of her felt horrible for leaving her sister in such a state, but she knew in her heart that she was right: it wasn't the time or place to talk about such things. Maggie needed to concentrate on her own boyfriend right now, not Beth's, and Beth just wasn't comfortable discussing something like that in the situation they were in. She might have sympathised with her sister and wished that Glenn had never been attacked so brutally, but that didn't mean that she forgave her sister.

Apparently, it didn't mean Maggie was sorry, either. Beth was a little bit more annoyed that she still seemed to think it was perfectly fine to talk so poorly about Daryl, even after all the trouble that her bad mouthing him had already caused between them.

Beth made her way to her truck and tried to ignore the nagging feeling in her stomach that told her that she was a horrible person for leaving her sister alone in the hospital room. She didn't remember starting up the engine and driving the car out of the parking lot, and she also didn't remember the drive over to Daryl's house.

Her brows furrowed in confusion for a moment as she pulled the keys out of the ignition, recognising where she was but honestly wondering how she had gotten here. But then Beth shook all negative thoughts away as best she could. Her day had been long and tiring and suddenly very emotional and she had come to see the one person who would make her feel better.

Besides, he had made it clear that she was welcome to come over whenever she wanted to see him.

_Right?_

* * *

**So yeah, sorry if this read a bit funny because like I said, I wrote most of this and edited it all on my phone (which isn't the most efficient way of writing, I'll have you know) and I've probably missed some obvious spelling mistakes/grammatical issues/etc but I am so tired and I'm going to stop re-reading this and dive straight into bed.**

**No Bethyl fluff in this chapter but I thought it was about time that Maggie and Beth bumped into each other. I think the whole 'bigger person' thing suits Beth and whilst Maggie would probably have it out by someone's bedside, I couldn't see Beth doing the same, so that's why I had her leave. A few people have mentioned in reviews that they want to see Beth staying strong and not giving in to Maggie and that's how I plan to write her. I think she is soft and sweet but still strong minded and determined so I don't think she would just back down! **

**So yeah, I have no plans to let Maggie get away with all the crap she gets away with on the show. (Still not bitter. I promise.)**

**Please review and let me know what you make of this chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Another phone chapter. Please forgive me in advance for any spelling/grammatical issues, I hate updating and editing from my phone enough as it is but this whole chapter has been written on it. I hope it's not too hard to read! **

* * *

Beth was woken up by the sound of her phone vibrating furiously underneath her pillow. She woke up groggily and reached her hand underneath the pillow in a lazy attempt to find the phone, but it cut off before she could do anything about it. Beth had kept her eyes shut the whole time and rubbed them a little with the back or her hand before she tried to settle back down.

She heard Daryl mumble something incoherent under his breath and then he was stirring next to her. He was a light sleeper - much lighter than her - and when they had first started spending their nights together, she had initially worried that she would roll over or move in her sleep and end up waking him up constantly. But if she ever had done just that, he never mentioned it to her.

Still in a sleepy state, she felt him grab her hip a little roughly and pull her closer towards him. A strangled noise of surprise escaped from her mouth and her eyes flew open at the sudden movement, but then she was smiling against the pillow as his chest pressed up against her back and he drapes one of his big arms over her waist.

Beth yawned for a long few seconds before she was smiling again as she felt Daryl placing a kiss to the back of her neck, his stubble tickling her a little in the sensitive area.

The pair were silent for a few minutes but Beth knew that Daryl wasn't asleep yet either because he wasn't snoring. She let out an impatient sigh and turned her head towards him slightly despite not being able to see anything in the darkness of the room.

"Wish I knew who was callin' me at this time," she frowned.

Beth glanced at the alarm clock that was resting on her nightstand and saw that it was five past tree in the morning.

Daryl just grunted into her hair as a response before he settled back down and it didn't take long after that for him to start snoring.

The only thing that she could think of was that Carol was struggling for cover at the hospital, but that wouldn't make sense because it was now Saturday and everyone knew that Beth didn't work weekends.

Beth probably would have felt guilty at the thought of ignoring the call if it was work, but then she brushed that idea away because she had already worked thirteen hours overtime this week and she definitely wasn't planning on working any more.

Being spooned by Daryl wasn't exactly encouraging her to want to leave her warm, cosy bed, either. So when her phone didn't go off again after a few more minutes, Beth let out a sigh of relief and snuggled further into the bed, closing her eyes shut and drifting into a peaceful sleep.

When she woke up in the morning, Beth forgot all about the late night call and was instead distracted by Daryl's head dipped between her legs.

She lived for the weekends when they could lie in bed together and not have to move anywhere, even if they didn't tend to be able to sleep in due to the way that their bodies were now tuned with getting up at the crack of dawn. Beth loved lounging around her apartment (or his house) knowing that he was there too instead of being at work, especially when she was wearing nothing but one of his flannel shirts that was far too big for her.

Daryl was still lay in bed when Beth brought in a large heaping of bacon on a plate and several slices of buttered bread on another along with a bottle of ketchup tucked under her arm. He chuckled at the sight of her and watched as she sat the plates down in the middle of the bed.

"Happened to no eatin' in bed?"

Beth rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully on the chest as he sat up. He kept his back pressed against the headboard whilst Beth was resting against it with her shoulder, her legs curled up underneath her as she sat facing him.

The two dove straight into eating and Beth was only reminded of the late night phone call by Daryl.

"I didn't even check who it was," she said as she pulled her phone out from where it was still placed underneath the pillow. "It was probably just Carol calling from the..."

Beth's voice trailed off as she frowned down at the notification that alerted her of her missed call.

_Surely not. _

Daryl might not have seen her confused and uncertain expression because he was busy piling up bacon on another sandwich, but he _did_ hear the immediate change in her tone and the way her voice trailed off.

His head shot up to look at her and Beth was staring right at him when he did.

"'S the matter?"

Beth almost wanted to smile at the concern she could hear in his voice.

"It's... It was Maggie," she said simply.

Beth couldn't read Daryl's expression and that made her feel uneasy because she had really started to get good at reading him and knowing what he was thinking without him even saying anything. She had always known that he was quiet and she didn't mind if he didn't say much anyway because he communicated through his features and through his actions.

But this was unnerving because she had no idea what he was saying to her right now. If he was saying anything at all.

Daryl had been supportive with the whole Maggie situation. He hadn't ripped into her sister like others may have done, seeming to respect that even if she had behaved quite childishly and even if she had upset Beth that she was still her sister. Daryl seemed to almost respect the fact that Maggie was Beth's family (_"She's your kin,_ _Beth. It ain't my place t' say anythin_'."), but she knew that just because he respected that didn't mean that he liked Maggie.

And if he did dislike her sister, then Beth couldn't blame him. She didn't want him to and in an ideal world they would get along; but in reality they didn't and probably never would, and the only person to blame for that was Maggie herself.

Daryl was quiet about almost everything and never said much. But today, he shocked her by talking about it.

"What d'ya reckon she wants?"

Beth was a little surprised at his words but she didn't let it show. She just shrugged her shoulders and clicked the lock button on her phone.

"I don't know," she sighed. "I know it's not about Glenn because I've been asking about him since Carol won't let me work on him and he's probably going to be going home this weekend. And apart from that... I just don't know what else she might want."

Beth was frowning as she tried to rack her brain._ Had she missed something important; a birthday or an event that they had planned_? But she kept everything written in her diary and on her calendar, so she would know if that was the case.

"Maybe she jus' wanted to talk," Daryl said, his voice low and gruff.

Beth wondered how he would feel if she _did_ talk to Maggie again. He wouldn't say anything; that she knew, but maybe he would feel disappointed or let down. She had defended him and their relationship because it had felt _right_, not because she felt like she had to.

Although as she got to know more about him - the little things he would let slip and the small stories he would tell her - Beth was starting to wonder just how many times in his life someone had stood up for him. She could very well be the first and she didn't want to take that away from him.

But she knew that Daryl wouldn't mind, not really. He actually seemed to want her to make up with her sister considering he seemed to feel guilty about their fallout, telling her that it was his fault and that she shouldn't be fighting with family because of him.

No matter what she said, he didn't seem to want to accept that this was on Maggie.

So Beth just scoffed at his words and shook her head.

"I doubt it," she said. "Maggie's my sister and I love her, but the things she's said and done are _not_ okay. And even though she's far too stubborn to see that, I doubt she would call to talk."

Daryl raised a brow at her but didn't say anything back to that, returning his attention to his food. Beth let out a little sigh before she helped herself to some bacon.

"I'll talk to her eventually," Beth said as they ate together in a comfortable silence. "Just not today."

* * *

"Now _that_ is cute. You cannot tell me that that skirt isn't cute."

Beth didn't look up from the book that she was reading as Rosita pulled out another item of clothing from one of her many bags. She was always happy to see her friend, but Beth could only concentrate on Rosita's many purchases for so long before she felt like she was losing her mind.

It wasn't that she wasn't into all of that. Beth was a girly girl; always had been, and she was a sucker for shopping (well, more like window shopping until recently), but Rosita _definitely_ had a problem when it came to clothes shopping.

Beth had even debated forcing her friend to go and see a therapist about it at one point because it had really started to get out of control, but she had reigned in her habit.

_Slightly_.

"You've still got your nose stuck in that damn thing?" Rosita whined when she realised that Beth wasn't paying attention.

Beth just rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head, finally looking up to Rosita's pouting face. She couldn't help but laugh at her friends expression.

"I need to keep on track," Beth said simply. "It's not like I'm reading for fun. This stuff is important and I can't afford to forget any of it now that I'm working."

Rosita just groaned dramatically as she began placing the items that she had littered over Beth's apartment floor back into the bags that they had come from. Once she had finished, she crossed the small space so that she was stood right in front of Beth and plastered a sweet smile upon her face as she bent down and snatched the book quickly from her hands.

Beth opened her mouth to protest but Rosita snapped the heavy textbook shut and as much as Beth wanted to argue that she really had to do some reading, she couldn't help but erupt into laughter along with her friend. Besides, it had been a while since they had got to have any girl time, and Beth decided that seeing her friends and having a social life was equally as important as keeping up with her reading.

After all, she couldn't just become a hermit.

"Come on," Rosita grinned. "Let's go get some lunch."

So Beth threw on her faded white converse and shoved her hair in a messy ponytail on top of her head before she grabbed her coat and keys, making sure to lock the front door behind her. Autumn was definitely approaching and as much as Beth loved the heat, there was something so cosy about this season. She loved wearing coats and scarves and watching the leaves fall from the trees, and there was something so beautiful about shorter days and longer nights.

Plus, the arrival of autumn only meant that her birthday was quickly approaching.

She still couldn't believe that she was almost twenty four. It just sounded so old and Beth wondered when she would ever not feel like she was still a teenage girl living on her daddy's farm. It had been a simpler time - a time when she didn't need to worry about bills and savings and shift work.

And Beth tried not to worry about those things now. Honestly, she did. But she couldn't help but feel like her money was being wasted on renting somewhere when she knew that it would never be hers. Beth couldn't afford to buy a house outright and she was struggling enough to pay her rent and her bills along with keeping the truck running, so she couldn't help but wonder whether she would ever be able to save up enough money for her to be able to have a deposit on a place that she could really call hers.

Her daddy had told her not to worry. He was always the voice of reason in her mind and he was the voice of reason in reality, too. Hershel had reassured his daughter that she was still on a low income and that her pay would increase soon enough, and maybe then she could start worrying about things like houses and her future, but for now she needed to take it easy.

Beth knew that he was right and so she tried her hardest to follow his advice.

The girls didn't even need to discuss where they were going to be having lunch. Beth offered to drive and Rosita didn't argue as she headed straight to the diner.

"I'm starving," Rosita sighed. "I just finished some stupid diet where I cut out carbs for like, two weeks."

"Did it work?" Beth asked with a raised brow as she pulled into the lot.

Rosita just shook her head.

"Not really," she sighed. "Just a waste of time and effort. So I'm going to comfort eat my misery away."

Beth laughed at that, just shaking her head as they walked into the diner. She recognised Sasha, one of the regular waitresses, straight away and offered her a little wave from across the room.

"Is that Tyreese's sister?" Rosita asked in a lowered tone as they slid into a booth. Beth just nodded her head yes. "I thought it was. _Please_ don't let her see me."

Beth furrowed her brows at that.

"Why?" she asked, leaning forward a little and speaking in a low tone, too.

Rosita bit her lip and looked around to check that nobody was in earshot before she responded.

"I slept with him a while ago - just a one night thing," she explained as Beth's mouth fell open in surprise. "Anyway, he had it pretty bad and kinda wouldn't leave me alone. I tried bein' nice an' all, let him down easy and everything. But he didn't take it too well when he heard about me and Abe."

Beth felt like she had one hundred questions to ask her friend, but just shook her head as if to shake them out and didn't say anything more about it.

Rosita had been with her fair share of men and Beth wasn't even sure why she was shocked anymore whenever Rosita pointed out another one of her conquests. It was something that she was used to by now, but she always found out weeks - or even months, on this occasion - after it had happened. It never seemed like she was phased by it considering she openly admitted it and Beth admired her confidence.

She knew that she would never be as bold as someone like her or Maggie, but she could _try_.

"How are things with you two?" Beth asked after both girls ordered their food.

Rosita shrugged her shoulders.

"Good," she said with a sigh. "I just feel like I never see him."

Abraham worked in the army, and whilst Beth couldn't really remember exactly what he did, she knew that he worked across the country. He tried to come home every weekend to see Rosita and he had paid leave, too; but that always seemed to pass by so quickly and Rosita was always sad for a while whenever he first left. Beth sympathised with her friend, but Rosita always insisted that she shouldn't feel sorry for her because the money he was on was more than worth it, meaning that she didn't even have to work if she didn't want to.

But Rosita _did_ want to and so she worked part-time at the elementary school in town, answering the phones and filing paperwork. Receptionist work might not have been the most fun job in the world, but she always insisted that she did it just for something to do whilst Abraham worked away.

"Is he coming home this weekend?" Beth asked.

"No," Rosita said sadly. "He's not been home for a few weekends now, 'cause they said they needed him up there to cover whilst some big boss was sick, and he wanted the extra money to take us away somewhere this summer."

Beth nodded her head and was about to ask when he was going to be coming home when the food arrived.

"How's you an' Daryl?" Rosita asked as she took a mouthful of her food.

Beth couldn't help but smile at the mention of his name. Rosita had been really supportive of their relationship, but that didn't shock Beth in the slightest. Out of all of her friends, Rosita was by far the most accepting.

"We're good," she breathed. "Great, actually. Things are going great."

"Do you see him a lot?"

Beth wasn't sure how to answer that and had to think about it for a moment. She was sure that the confusion showed on her features, too. Nobody had ever asked her that and Beth pondered over what she would consider to be a lot.

"I guess so," she shrugged as she nibbled on one of her fries. "Definitely every weekend, 'cause we both get them off work at the moment, and usually a few times in the week. Either he stays at mine or I stay at his."

Rosita nodded as she chewed on her burger.

"An' have you an' Maggie spoken yet?"

Beth shook her head no and Rosita sighed. Maggie had been the one to tell her about their furious row, but Rosita had stood up for Beth the whole time. Beth hated feeling like she was dragging her friends into sibling things and that was why she hadn't told anyone herself, but she had to admit it felt good to know that someone was on her side, too.

"Not since she saw me at the hospital. She did ring me last night though at a stupid time, but I was asleep so didn't find out what she wanted."

Rosita nodded her head as she swallowed down her food.

"Ah well, screw her. If she can't be happy for you like you always are for her, then there's no point Losin' sleep over it, 'cause she's not worth your time."

Beth smiled at that and concentrated on her meal. She couldn't deny the fact that talking about Maggie made her feel a little sad. Their argument might have taken place quite a few weeks ago now, but that didn't change the fact that the betrayal she felt at the hands of her sisters childish actions was any less raw.

Rosita seemed to sense the change of mood and quickly swooped in to save Beth from herself.

"So, tell me more about you and Daryl. I still can't get over this whole thing! Are you still in that new couple stage where it's kinda awkward but you're mega cute, or are you more comfortable now?"

"We're kinda... in the middle," Beth giggled. "I still get excited about seeing him and I still make an effort to look nice and things... But I've started just showing up at his place every now and then after work, and he never seems to mind. He's started dropping by, too, but I guess I do it more."

Rosita looked at her for a long moment, the hint of a smile gracing her lips as she wiped her fingers on a napkin.

"You seem happy, Beth," she said.

Beth grinned at that.

"I am," was all she said.

A sly grin spread across the other woman's face.

"Now," she breathed. "Be honest with me, Beth. On a scale of one to ten, just how good is Daryl Dixon in bed?"

* * *

**Thank you all for being so supportive of this story. I can't believe I've reached over one hundred reviews for this! You're all so generous with your compliments and make it so easy to keep updating this fic. **

**Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter. I'm thinking about having Beth meet Merle either the next chapter or the one after that. What do you think?**


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter shifts from Daryl's POV to Beth's. I know that I usually write one POV per chapter (and I prefer it that way because I feel like it flows easier and gives a better opportunity to look inside that character's head) but for the purpose of Beth meeting Merle, I decided to switch to her perspective halfway through. **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Daryl was _angry._

Anger was an emotion that he had always been encouraged to feel. His father had drilled it in to his two sons from a very early age that anger was the _only_ emotion that they should have.

It was anger that drove you to punching and kicking and hitting and beating the crap out of someone. It was anger that caused you to drink in order to forget. And it was anger that should be _embraced_ over anything and everything else.

Daryl hadn't been able to shut off his other emotions like his father had wanted him to, but for a while he had tried. He might not have succeeded, but he had tried his goddamned hardest anyway. He didn't want to feel the _pain_ when he was used as a punching bag. He didn't want to feel the _hurt_ when his brother abandoned him like everyone else. He didn't want to feel the _guilt_ when his mother died and he didn't want to feel the_ jealousy_ when he saw the other children around town with their new bikes and expensive toys and nice houses.

But he did and he couldn't shut it out like he wanted to. For a short while he had even tried to shut out Beth and the feelings that she erupted from within him, but he had soon tossed in the towel on that one. Daryl had tried to fight her; really, he had, but she was so damn stubborn and persistent by nature and he just couldn't get her out of his head. He supposed that he would always feel partially guilty for pursuing her, knowing that he was dragging her down with him to a level where people were cruel and ignorant - where they crossed the street when they saw you coming and quickly looked the opposite way if they saw you catch them staring at you, probably worried that you might beat the shit out of them just for glancing your way.

Beth didn't seem to mind any of that though and he reasoned with himself that it more than anything, it was her decision who she wanted to be with and who the fuck was he to stop her? Beth was an intelligent girl - crazy, maybe, but definitely intelligent - and he was sure that she knew what she was getting herself in for by being with him because she was _already_ dealing with it all.

She already put up with the judgement and the strange looks and the pitied words from strangers who didn't know her and didn't know him, but they just assumed that they did because they had heard stories from their friends and neighbours. Hell, she had even put up with it from her own sister who had stabbed her in the back at the first opportunity and tried to screw her over just for being with a Dixon. Daryl guessed that he shouldn't have been surprised considering that even being best pals with the sheriff didn't mean much to the people in this nosy little town, but he knew that Beth was hurting nonetheless.

And Beth was just so kind and sweet and so understanding that it broke his heart to see her hurting. So even as he stood there in front of the bedroom window, fury bubbling within him at the sight of her stood there with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, he couldn't help but want to take out his anger on himself and himself alone because he couldn't stand the sight of those blue eyes in pain.

But Daryl was just as stubborn as she was, and as much as he didn't want to hurt her, he also wasn't in the mood for a damned pity party.

The problem that Daryl had with Beth Greene was that she wasn't scared of him the way that everyone else was. Daryl couldn't help himself but glare at her as she stood there in the doorway and he knew that if he even so much as gave someone in town half the look he was giving her, they would run a mile in the opposite direction. But Beth wasn't anyone else in this town and she was still stood there looking at him with those soft blue eyes, gazing at him in a way that made him feel like she was trying to communicate to him through her eyes; as if she was telling him that everything was alright.

It _wasn't_ alright.

Daryl wasn't sure what had even really happened because it had happened that quickly. One minute he was getting himself changed whilst she took a shower, the next minute he was jumping at the sound of her rushing back through the bedroom door, probably forgetting something from her bag. And he had been doing such a good job of hiding his back from her but he had gotten lazy and careless with it and just assumed that because things had been going well so far that they would continue to be well. Hindsight was a bastard thing.

Beth had obviously not suspected anything. Okay, maybe she had expected something from the little snippets of information that he gave her, but definitely not something like _this. _Even though he had turned to face her quickly so that she had only seen it for a matter of seconds, the picture was clearly ingrained into her mind. Daryl could see it in the way that she still looked shocked, like he had slapped her hard across the face or told her that he wasn't really a person, just a figment of her imagination.

And fuck, what had he been thinking being so careless around her. It wouldn't be so bad if he had ever told anyone about it or even shown it to anyone but he hadn't - not even his own fucking _brother - _so he didn't have the faintest clue what to tell her. He wasn't even sure whether he wanted to tell her; not about the drunken beatings with his father's fists or his belt, not about the constant hunger and desperation, not about that constant loneliness and need for someone - something - just to _be there. _

He seemed to forget the way things used to be whenever he was around her and as much anger as he had boiling inside of him, he never felt anything but calm when she was there with him. Now, for what Daryl was the first time _ever,_ he wasn't calm around Beth Greene. And he didn't know what to do about that.

Part of him wished that there was a quick escape button he could press that would catapult him out of the ceiling and throw him far, far away because he really wasn't sure that he was_ ready_ to deal with this right now.

Beth began edging slowly towards him, her eyes never moving from his, and he almost laughed at the way she was treating him. Like he was a skittish animal that was about to bolt at any sudden movement or sound. And maybe that's what she thought he was like, and maybe that's what he actually was, but Daryl didn't even entertain the idea.

Instead, he just concentrated on her; the way she was looking at him with big blue eyes and lips that were slightly parted. The way that her cheeks were a little flushed with embarrassment at catching him like this and sure, she had seen him naked before, but he suddenly felt so _exposed_ to her as he stood there in just his boxers, the plain black tee shirt he was going to change into hanging loosely in his fist.

It felt like it took her forever to reach him and his breathing had calmed somewhat when she finally did, but it was still heavy and louder than usual. He hadn't been caught off guard in a long time and Daryl had to admit that he had not expected it to be done by a five-foot nothing blonde who probably only just weighed one hundred pounds soaking wet.

Daryl thought that he heard her murmur his name under her breath, but he had been focusing only on her eyes so he couldn't be sure whether she had really said it or whether he had imagined it completely. Before he could think too much about it, Beth was leaning up towards him, craning her neck and reaching up her hands to rest on his bare shoulders.

Daryl expected to flinch at her touch but he didn't, surprised to find himself allowing her to edge her lips closer and closer towards his.

Beth was much shorter than he was and she was stood on her tiptoes to reach him, her nose bumping against his own before he let out a sigh. Beth seemed to take that as a good opportunity to kiss him and so that's exactly what she did. His eyes fluttered shut after a second and it took him a little while, but he eventually relaxed into her kiss and allowed his shoulders to slouch from where they had been straight and tense. The tee shirt dropped from his hands and on to the floor as he wrapped both of his arms around her tiny frame at a slow pace, his fingers meeting the exposed skin at the curve of her back where her tank top cut off and her jeans began and he explored it happily.

The kiss that they shared was slow and steady and gentle. Even when her tongue bumped against his, there was no urgency or lust or rushed heat. The kiss was intimate and Daryl tried not to think too much into it and tried his hardest to just _feel _it.

As they kissed, her hands slowly began to explore his bare back. The scars had faded with time so that they weren't as red - some of them white whilst other's were purple - and they weren't as hard and bumpy as they used to be, either. But Daryl knew that they were still pretty awful, even if he didn't really look at them much. He couldn't remember the last time that he inspected them but he had a feeling that not much had changed.

Daryl wanted to know what she was thinking as she touched him, but he didn't dwell too much on it because she was distracting him in the most wonderful way with her mouth on his.

Eventually, their lips parted, but that didn't mean that the intimate moment was over. Nothing had been said as of yet except the little murmur of his name and Daryl was glad for it. He liked the sound of Beth's voice just fine - thought it was one of his favourite sounds, actually - but there was a time for talking and a time for peace and quiet, and this was a time for the latter.

Beth looked up at him once more, this time with heavy eyelids and swollen lips and cheeks that were tinted red for a different reason, and the anger that he had felt just a few minutes before seemed to just evaporate as he looked down at her.

Daryl wanted to kiss her again and never stop, but he stood frozen as she took a step back from him. He stared straight ahead as she slowly walked around him so that she could examine his back and he almost jumped when he felt her run her fingers across it.

Beth touching it was one thing, but knowing that she was looking at it and seeing it for what it was another. Daryl could feel the tips of his ears burning and he suddenly felt exposed again and he was panicking and -

And then her lips were brushing across his back once, twice, three times.

His breaths were shaky at the unfamiliar sensation and he only felt a little bit calmer when she wrapped her arms around his stomach and held him tightly from behind, resting her cheek against him and letting her hair tickle his skin. Daryl closed his eyes and pushed away all of the negative and angry thoughts, simply letting himself feel her holding him close, concentrating on the sound of her breathing and the way that her thumbs were stroking his chest.

It felt _good. _

Daryl didn't know how long they stood there like that for, but it felt like it went on forever and at the same time as though it was over far too soon. Beth was pulling back and unwrapping her arms from around him and he almost whimpered at the loss of contact, suddenly feeling much more emotional and vulnerable than he had done in a long time. Possibly in forever.

But then she was in front of him again and she was whispering his name - this time he was certain that she said it - and he'd be damned if he hadn't heard anything as pretty as her voice.

And then she was kissing him; but this kiss was different because this kiss was passionate and hungry, filled with need and desire. They had communicated emotion through their last kiss and they did the same with this kiss, but everything about it was heated and hot and hurried. It wasn't long before Daryl's tongue was battling hers and they were both moaning and humming and hissing into each other's mouths.

Daryl lost all self control when she nipped at his lower lip and he pulled her up into his arms with ease, breaking their kiss to chuckle a little when she squealed in surprise at his sudden move. Beth made quick work of kissing his jaw and his neck as he carried her towards the bed, throwing her down on it and smirking at her as she bounced a little on it. Daryl crawled up the bed on his knees and nearly blew in his pants when he saw her pretty white teeth biting into her bottom lip, her blue eyes wide and full of lust as she looked up at him.

They spent what seemed like it could have days in bed together, but Daryl knew in reality it had only been around an hour. He was lay on his back with her nestled into his side, an arm hanging over her shoulders protectively and his eyes drifting shut when he heard it.

At first, he hadn't been sure if she had really spoken.

Daryl's eyes just flew open at the sound of her words and he couldn't help but sit up a little so that he could look down at her and see her face. Beth was just smiling up at him; a happy smile, one that he saw often and was almost used to. But there was a glint in her eye that looked completely unfamiliar and he wasn't sure what to do or say back to her in response to that.

He opened his mouth and didn't even remember registering the words that came tumbling out.

"Wha' did you just say, girl?"

She giggled at that, biting her lip in a way that she must have _known_ drove him crazy before she said those damned words again, and Daryl knew that he had heard her correctly the first time.

"I said, _I love you_, Daryl Dixon."

* * *

He didn't say it back.

Beth didn't expect him to and so she didn't mind when he didn't tell her that he loved her too. She wasn't sure if she had said it too soon, and she didn't want to seem over-confident, but she didn't need to hear him say it anyway because she just _knew_ that he loved her. Beth could see it in the things that he did for her and the way he always _tried_ around her, even if it was pushing him out of his comfort zone, he always seemed to make an effort.

More than anything, though, Beth could see it in his eyes.

It was the way he looked at her like she was everything in the world that was good and right. The way he looked at her as though he was amazed at the fact that she was there with him.

And even though he didn't tell her, she could feel him say it to her when he rolled her over straight after she said it to him and made love to her all over again. She had been breathless and ecstatic and she didn't care if he never said those words to her in her whole life because she just knew that he loved her anyway.

Beth was working her least favourite shift that week; two until ten, but she still woke up at seven when Daryl's alarm went off the next morning. He insisted that she went back to sleep but she just shook her head and pulled on one of his shirts whilst he went to get a shower.

Beth was becoming more and more comfortable in his house and she made her way downstairs to the kitchen where she put two pieces of bread in the toaster for Daryl and made them both a coffee each. His hair was still damp and his eyelids were still heavy when he strolled in to the kitchen wearing his work uniform, looking surprised to see Beth practically shoving a plate of toast and a mug of coffee at him.

He wolfed down his breakfast and Beth beamed at him when he gave her a kiss on the temple before he set off for work.

"You gonna be here tonight?" he grunted from the doorway.

Beth nodded her head.

"If you want me to be," she quickly added.

Daryl's lips twitched upwards a little and he just offered her a nod of his head before he set out of the door. Beth let out a breath once he had gone and buried her face in the palms of her hands. She couldn't believe how much more relaxed she was around him and she told herself that she _had _to stop just assuming that he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him.

Once Beth had showered and gotten dressed in her nurse's uniform, she reminded herself that she needed to bring some fluffier towels round to his place. Now that she thought about it, there was a few things she could grab before work to keep at Daryl's place. So long as he didn't mind, of course.

Beth was just grabbing her handbag from where it was resting on the couch when she heard the front door swing open. Beth was surprised to hear Daryl coming home so early considering she didn't think he got his break until one and it wasn't even twelve o'clock yet. She heard an unfamiliar laughter fill the room and she turned behind her to see who she recognised to be Merle Dixon standing in the doorway of the living room.

She was pretty sure that her eyes were bulging out of her head but she couldn't help it. Beth was genuinely surprised to see him here, even though Daryl had warned her some weeks ago that his brother had a tendency to turn up unannounced. She supposed that it was because she had been coming round a lot more and spending the night, too, so Daryl had decided to give her the heads up just in case Merle ever showed when neither of them were expecting it.

Even though he had made it clear to her that his brother would literally just drop by whenever he felt like it, she always imagined that if he ever did, it would be when Daryl was home, too. She had never even considered him turning up when Daryl was working and she was alone.

Beth was staring and Merle was grinning before he let out a long and low whistle.

"What do we have here," he said, the smirk never leaving his face.

Beth jutted out her chin and squared her shoulders, trying her best to stand her ground.

She had heard about Merle from some of the nurses in the hospital and even though she tried her hardest not to listen to gossip, it was pretty difficult not to when _Carol_ had been the one warning her that the man had tendencies to flirt and tease and swear.

"You mus' be my baby brother's new piece," Merle continued as he stepped closer to her.

Part of Beth wished that Daryl was home now to save her. She had no idea what she was supposed to say or do around Merle.

So she just nodded her head once and offered him a little smile.

"Somethin' like that," she said. "An' you must be Merle."

Merle nodded at that but he didn't seem to be listening to what she had to say as his eyes raked over her, making her suddenly feel incredibly self-conscious. But she stayed strong and tried not to let him sense just how uncomfortable she felt.

He must have approved of whatever it was he saw or found what he was looking for because his devilish smirk widened to a full-on grin.

"So," he said, looking around. "Where is he?"

Beth swallowed and shrugged her shoulders at the older man, hoping that she looked much more relaxed than she felt.

The only time she could recall seeing Merle was when he was lay unconscious in a hospital bed and even then she could admit that he looked kind of intimidating. Now that he was awake and towering above her, eyes dancing with a humor that she couldn't understand, she decided that he was _very _intimidating.

"Working," she said simply.

Merle nodded at that and ran his tongue over his lower lip.

"You gotta tell me, blondie," he said, chuckling a little as he spoke. "How'd my baby brother go an' snag himself a girl like you?"

Beth's eyes widened at his words but Merle took no notice of it as he made his way over to the couch and threw himself down on top of it, not bothering to remove his shoes as he stretched out against the furniture.

"I don't know what you mean," Beth said as she tossed her handbag over her shoulder and clutched the strap of it.

Merle laughed again at that and just shook his head before he turned on the television.

"You goin' somewhere?" he asked, looking at her with piercing blue eyes. "Don' go leavin' on my account, girl. If you reckon you like Darylina's company, I can guarantee you'll just _love _mine."

Merle was teasing her and she knew it, but that didn't mean that it was any easier for her to listen to him. She wondered if she would ever be able to be comfortable around him and then it crossed her mind about how Daryl could be comfortable around him. Maybe he still wasn't, even after the thirty plus years that he had known him.

There was just something about Merle that already had her feeling uneasy and on her toes and even though he seemed harmless enough, she couldn't help but wonder what he was going to say next.

Beth supposed he was just trying to figure her out and see how far he could go with winding her up. Still, that didn't make it any easier.

"I've got to get goin' to work," she told him.

Merle nodded at that.

"You're one of those bitches that was nursin' me not too long ago, aren't ya?"

He burst out laughing at her expression. She had tried her hardest not to let her expression falter at his words throughout their brief conversation, but she definitely hadn't been expecting _that. _

"Don't worry, sweetcheeks," he grinned. "Ol' Merle here's jus' teasin' ya. Say, d'ya know what time dear Darylene is back?"

Beth resisted the urge to pull her lips into a thin line at the nickname. She was the youngest sibling too so she could only sympathise with Daryl on the name-calling and constant teasing side of things. She_ did_ silently cross her fingers and hope that her siblings would grow out of that by the time they were Merle's age, though.

"He'll probably be home around six," she said sweetly.

Beth couldn't help but notice that Merle smiled a lot. Not just smiled, full on _grinned_ at her as though she had just said something absolutely hilarious. Beth much preferred Daryl's smiles. Although they were usually small and subtle, she knew that when he did grin and laugh, it wasn't because he was being creepy or sarcastic or point blank mean.

"Guess that gives us plenty of time to... get to know each other."

Merle smacked his lips and rubbed his hands together when he paused and Beth shuddered at his words. She had been expecting him to be forward and outrageously flirtatious because Carol had warned her of that when she was going to be treating him in a hospital, but she wasn't sure she had been really prepared for this.

Daryl and Merle were very different, that was for sure. Daryl was only just opening up to her properly and letting her get to know all the sides of him; still somewhat insecure and shy, whereas Merle had spoken to her for two minutes and she already knew that he was incredibly bold and confident. He talked a lot, too - a lot more than Daryl, that was for sure.

Beth never imagined that the brothers would be - even could be - so different. They were indeed polar opposites, and she could only take that as a positive. It wasn't that Merle didn't seem like a nice enough person, but she definitely preferred the younger Dixon brother's quiet demeanor.

"Shame I've gotta run off for work," Beth said with a little nervous laugh.

Merle snorted at that before he cracked his neck and reached for the remote to turn on the television. Beth walked across the room to grab her jacket from where it was resting over one of the chairs at the dining room table and draped it over her arm, smiling a little awkwardly at Merle as she walked back past him towards the front door.

As much as she found his presence a little overwhelming and his whole aurora intimidating, she still wanted to make a good impression on him. After all, he was Daryl's _brother_ \- his only family and even if Daryl never told her how much he cared about him, it was obvious in the way he spoke about him. Granted, Daryl didn't tell her much, but he sometimes told her funny little stories that would make both of them smile and almost all of them included tales of Merle and what he used to make them get up to.

"Real shame, that, goldie locks. Sure you don't wanna just stay here an' look after me? My hand could use a good lookin' at, think I need some checkin' over..."

Beth bit down on her lip and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I'm sure," she said in a sing-song voice. "But if it's botherin' you, I'm sure you could come down to the hospital an' have Carol check it over for you."

Merle's grin faltered a little at that and Beth just gave him a smug little smile. She could see the surprise and confusion evident on his face as he battled over what to say. Merle seemed to have a lot to say about everything and Beth was pretty pleased with herself for shutting him up.

It wasn't that she knew anything was going on between Merle and her supervisor. Beth had just had a hunch when she walked past the room he was in a few times and saw Carol sitting just a little too close for comfort and heard the way the older woman giggled flirtatiously with him. She also had seen her slipping him her number as he was discharged, although Merle and Carol had been oblivious to her approaching them. Carol had been a little flustered once Beth appeared and asked her whether she was alright to go and grab her things, but neither woman mentioned it again.

Merle's expression at the mention of Carol clearly gave it away though. Beth briefly wondered whether Daryl knew about it, although she sincerely doubted it. She imagined that he would have mentioned something to her since she worked with Carol. Especially considering the woman was married and had a daughter.

"It was so nice to meet you, Merle," Beth said as she made her way out.

Merle blinked at her a few times, his expression blank. But then he recovered from his shock and smirked up at her. It wasn't a big grin like his other smiles had been, but it was still _something _nonetheless.

"Yeah," he said, nodding his head. "Nice meetin' you too, blondie."

Beth opened the front door and was about to leave when she heard Merle holler at her. She turned her head over her shoulder and saw him sitting straight up on the couch, a much more serious expression on his face as he looked over her. Beth tilted her head to the side and waited for him to say something.

"Take care of my baby brother for me, will ya?" he said. "Ain't nobody ever loved him like I loved him, an' I know he ain't too great with the ladies, but he's a real nice guy really."

Beth just nodded her head and offered Merle a bright and genuine smile before she shut the front door behind her and set off on her way to work. She briefly wondered how Daryl would react to the news that she had finally met the infamous Merle Dixon without him even being there.

* * *

**There you have it! I wanted Beth to finally tell Daryl that she loved him but I didn't want her to do it without them addressing the whole scars issue first. I thought it just wouldn't be right if she said it before she found out so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone. **

**I was pulling my face about how to have these two meet each other and I went for this in the end. I figured that as playful as Merle is about everything, he's still protective of his little brother and would want to look out for him, so I wanted to include that little bit at the end. I hope that their brief first encounter was everything you wanted it to be! **

**I like the idea of Beth and Merle getting along and I think he would admire her strength and her unwillingness to back down. I definitely think he would intimidate her a little bit but she would try her hardest not to let it show, so I hope that I got that across and gave her just enough sass to pull it off. And I don't think Beth would straight up judge him and would respect the fact that he is Daryl's brother more than anything else.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it wasn't too difficult to read because of the split POV's. I guess this one was a little less fluffy and a bit more serious but I needed to address Daryl's secrets before this couple could progress. **

**Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter and also where you think I should go next with this! What would you like to see happen for this couple in these upcoming chapters? Is there anything you would like me to address, introduce or include? Your ideas always inspire me so please let me know! **

**(And thank you all so much to everyone who has already reviewed, and continues to review, this story. You're amazing.)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you all so much for continuing to support this story. I can't express how much it means to me every time someone favourites/follows/reviews this little fic but I honestly appreciate it so much.**

**So here, enjoy some fluff to satisfy your Bethyl hearts.**

* * *

It was late when Beth finished work and even later when she parked her truck in his driveway. She sat still for a minute, still a little unsure of how she even got here.

Not here as in the exact minute in that moment, but here as in _here _\- working full time at the hospital just like she had always wanted with an actual boyfriend who treated her more than decently. Beth had lived all of the moments that led to her relationship with Daryl and she was still living them as it blossomed, but sometimes it hit her that this was actually all real and not just a dream and she couldn't help but be a little overwhelmed at that.

Meeting Merle Dixon earlier that morning had just cemented the fact that this was _real. _That being with Daryl was real and that their relationship was real. Beth knew that Merle was the only family Daryl had left and she had been quite surprised at how normal and casually they had met. The Dixon's were very different to the Greene's and whilst Daryl had met her parents during a sit-down dinner, she wondered whether she would ever share a meal like that with Merle.

Beth pulled herself from the truck and locked it behind her before she strolled up to Daryl's door. He had given her a key a few weeks ago and she still smiled a stupid smile every time she pulled it out to lock or unlock the front door.

Daryl was sat downstairs watching the television in just a pair of sweatpants and an open bottle of beer resting on the arm of the couch. He titled his head back to look at her when she walked through the door and she couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. She loved this - this coming home to him and not having to think about anything other than him and not having to move anywhere unless she wanted to, and if she did want to then it would be because of him.

Daryl offered her a little smile in return and she bent down to give him a small peck on the lips like she always did when she came home. And then she made her way towards the dining table and removed her coat and placed her handbag on one of the chairs and slipped off her shoes, carrying them towards the shoe rack that he had made and put in the little porch.

"I met Merle today," she said.

Beth had been wondering about how to tell him all day and she wasn't surprised when he nodded his head.

"Believe so," Daryl said in a gruff voice.

Beth bit her bottom lip as she sat down next to him and he draped one of his arms lazily across the back of the couch, silently inviting her to move closer to him. Beth edged up a little and tucked her knees up under her chin so that her toes were tickling against his thigh and then she rested her head against his shoulder.

Daryl just looked at her for a long moment, scanning her expression and looking as though he was waiting for her to do or say something. But Beth was tired after a horribly long shift at work and she didn't know what he wanted her to say anyway so for once, she was quiet.

"He bother you?" Daryl asked, eventually breaking the silence.

Beth giggled a little at that and shook her head no. Daryl breathed a little easier then and that caused her to giggle some more. The corner of his lips twitched but he didn't say anything, choosing to look straight into her eyes and communicate with her that way.

Eventually, Beth decided that it was time she gave him _something. _He had done well not to pester her with question after question, because if this was the other way round, she would definitely want to know all of the details that she knew Merle wouldn't have provided him with.

"He seemed nice," she started, and Daryl scoffed at her and shook his head. "I'm bein' serious," she smiled, pushing herself from him so that she could sit up straight on the couch. "He was a little bit..."

"Of an ass?" Daryl finished for her, and Beth laughed at that.

"Maybe a little," she giggled. "But he... no. He seemed nice enough. Honest."

Daryl just gave her a look that told her that he didn't believe her and she wasn't sure that she believed it herself. But when she thought about it, she supposed she was actually telling the truth.

Merle Dixon didn't seem _that _bad.

* * *

They always got their weekends off together and Beth loved their weekends more than anything. Sometimes they did things together; like shopping, visiting friends and relatives, spending some time in the woods together where Daryl could hunt, or sometimes just running errands. Other times they didn't do anything and wouldn't even step outside, enjoying each other's company and not bothering to leave the bed unless they needed something urgently.

This weekend was a weekend where they weren't doing anything at all but enjoying each others company, but they _had _decided to do something.

Beth giggled, feeling a little light headed as she took another shot of moonshine. It burned her throat as it went down but she was slowly beginning to get used to the taste of it and it wasn't as bad as her daddy had made out it was. She had never tried it before and Daryl didn't have any in the house but when she suggested that they played a drinking game, he had gone out especially to buy some alcohol for them to share.

She frowned a little when he came back with it and he looked down at the bottle in confusion, clearly unsure of what was so wrong with it. When she had told him what her daddy had told her - that bad moonshine could make you go blind - he just shrugged his shoulders and said that there was nothing worth seeing anyway. Beth cocked a brow at him knowingly and he just smirked a little at her, but neither of them said anything else about it.

"I can't believe you've never been out of Georgia," she said, shaking her head.

Daryl just shrugged his shoulders at her as though him always being here was the most normal thing in the world. Beth wondered how many other people around the country had never left the states that they lived in and she wondered if they were happy with that. Daryl didn't seem too bothered about it, but Beth couldn't help but feel like he was missing out on something he didn't even realise existed.

There was no better feeling than leaving to go somewhere new and exciting, even if you knew that you were coming back soon. Sometimes that made it even better, because as much as Beth wanted to travel, she always wanted to come back to Georgia. She could never imagine leaving forever.

"Never needed to leave, I guess."

Beth looked thoughtful for a moment before she poured more of the alcohol into their shot glasses. She was getting past the point of being tipsy now even though Daryl seemed to be completely sober, and she blamed it on him for cheating. Beth wasn't the best at guessing things that he had done that she hadn't and sometimes she thought she had the perfect one but then she was always wrong.

"We should go," she said after a moment, and he blinked at her from across the table. Beth giggled at the sight of his blank face. "I'm being serious," she told him. "We should book a vacation and leave."

Daryl thought her words over for a second and her heart thumped in her chest nervously until he eventually looked straight across at her and gave her his best smile. Beth felt her stomach flip at the sight of him looking at her like that. They had been dating for a while now and Beth was pleasantly surprised that he still had this effect on her. She was sure that these sorts of feelings that she had for him and the effects that he had on her body - like making her heart pound and her hands sweat and her stomach flip - were supposed to have faded by now.

Not that she was complaining. No, she was anything but complaining.

Beth was just so used to things fizzling out the way they always seemed to - her crushes always dying down over time and her feelings dissolving into nothing. But that was before she met Daryl Dixon and this man had a ridiculous effect on her. She had told him that she loved him and she meant it, too; and it seemed like she was falling more and more in love with him every single day.

"An' go where?" he asked.

Beth thought over his question for a moment but just shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know," she said. "Where would you wanna go?"

Daryl looked thoughtful as he worried his thumb with his teeth, staring at the moonshine bottle as though an answer would pop out from there.

"I ain't never been to New York before," he mumbled.

Beth knew that because he had just told her that he had never left Georgia, but she decided to ignore his choice of words and just gave him a dazzling grin instead. His eyes narrowed at her a little and then his face fell when he realised what he had said and Beth laughed a little.

"Drink up, Mister Dixon," she beamed.

Daryl rolled his eyes and shook his head, muttering something about this being a stupid game under his breath. But Beth knew that he was just teasing her and watched as he reached out and grabbed the shot glass, tossing his head back as he poured the liquid down his throat.

As always, he had a good poker face and just wiped his mouth as he sat the glass back down on his dining room table, but Beth knew that it was only a matter of time until he cracked and admitted that moonshine was pretty disgusting.

"So it's settled," Beth said after a moment. "We're going to New York."

Daryl cocked a brow at her and just smirked, not saying anything more about it as she continued to play the game.

"I've never smoked a cigarette," she said, and Daryl cursed under his breath before taking another shot of moonshine.

Beth had to admit that she was pretty pleased with herself. She was getting good at this now that she had got the hang of it. At first she had tried to be a little interesting and obscure with her 'I never's' but now she was outright going for the obvious. Daryl shook his head at her from across the table once he had settled his shot glass back down on the table once more.

"You play dirty, girl," he said.

Beth's eyes twinkled at that and she couldn't help but grin at him.

"I thought that was just how you liked it," Beth retorted.

Beth still couldn't believe that she had convinced him to play the silly game with her. It was something that her and her friends used to play in college before they went on a night out and although Daryl told her several times that he had never played before so he didn't know what to do, he wasn't too bad at guessing the things that she had done that he hadn't.

Part of her felt a little upset when he said things like "_I've never been on a family holiday_" and "_I never got a present from Santa Clause_". It almost broke her heart to hear it and imagine the childhood that he had experienced, but it seemed like Daryl was comfortable with it so she didn't say anything about it. He didn't tell her to receive her pity and almost smiled when he said those sorts of things because he just knew that she would have to take a shot of moonshine. Beth didn't think much about it and didn't say anything, either.

After all, if he didn't want her to know then he wouldn't have shared the information with her, and Beth knew better than to question him about it.

Anything that she needed to know he would tell her. Everything else was just a bonus, and as he slowly began to open up to her more and more, Beth could only become more and more confident that he was falling in love with her, too.

He still hadn't said it to her even though she said it to him a lot. And Beth still didn't mind because she still knew that he did. She had long accepted that he may never say those words to her and she was happy knowing that he didn't have to so long as he always looked at her the way he did.

Daryl wasn't one for talking and she had long accepted that, too. But he always opened up a little bit more to her when he'd had a drink (or a couple of drinks, anyway) and Beth liked to see that side of him. A more relaxed and open side that wasn't constantly surrounded by walls that she had to break down.

It wasn't that she didn't want to break them down, it was more that it was nice to get to see a side of him where it wasn't required every now and again.

So she was pretty surprised that the pair of them were lay in bed, their heads resting on the pillows and their hands intertwined as they talked to each other. Beth was honest to God having _pillow talk_ with_ Daryl Dixon. _

Her inner pre-teen wanted to scream and shout and dance and giggle, but instead Beth just smiled at him sweetly and pressed her lips to his in an affectionate manner every now and again. She had to remind her inner teenager that she was a grown woman now and grown women were sophisticated and mature.

"Do you think you'll ever have children?"

She wasn't sure where the question had come from and she wasn't sure why she had asked it, either. Beth couldn't remember what they had been talking about to make her say it - something to do with Judith Grimes and her missing babysitting her all of the time - because she was suddenly a little embarrassed, but she tried not to let it show on her face too much.

Daryl looked a little surprised at the question, too; it clearly catching him off guard and he looked almost nervous for a moment, but he quickly recovered and just shrugged his shoulders at her halfheartedly.

"Never really thought too much 'bout it," he admitted.

Beth just nodded her head in understanding and didn't say anything to disturb the thoughtful expression that he was wearing on his face. His brows were knotted together and his jaw was a little hard but he didn't seem tense or uncomfortable.

"Wouldn't wanna end up like my pa," he said in a low voice.

They were both a little bit tipsy and Beth knew that it might not be the best conversation to have when she was drunk because her mouth had a mind of it's own when she was sober, never mind when she had been doing shots of moonshine whilst playing 'I never'. But she ignored the nagging part of her brain that told her all of that and instead nudged a little closer towards him so that their noses were almost touching and that their knees were brushing against each other's from where they were lay.

"I don't think you need to worry," Beth said. "I think you'd be a good daddy," Beth smiled, and Daryl smiled, too.

"I dunno," was all he said back to her.

The first time that she had noticed he was blushing, Beth had been in a slight state of disbelief. Of all of the people to blush at something, she never imagined Daryl to be one of them.

He had always seemed so hard faced and confident and untouchable, but sometimes she would say things to him and the tips of his ears and cheeks would burn red.

This was one of those times.

"Don't," she giggled. "Don't 'I dunno' me. I know you would."

Daryl's lips twitched at that and he was looking at her in a way that made her feel so incredibly _raw_. He leaned closer a little and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Do you?"

Beth knew what he was referring to and just shrugged her shoulders back at him.

"I guess I... Yeah. Yeah, I can't wait to have kids, really. I always wanted to be a mama when I was little, but I never really thought about it much while I was studyin'."

Daryl nodded his head once at her in understanding and she let out a gentle sigh.

"Do you think... I mean, would you want... Do you think you would want to have children with me?"

The question was a bit wobbly but Beth managed to get it out in the end, even if she did stutter a little over her words.

She blamed it on the moonshine.

She watched at Daryl's lips turned up once more and he was obviously smiling now.

"Guess so."

It wasn't much but to Beth it meant the world and she was grinning like he had just told her that he was the one who had put the sun in the sky, just for her. She reached out her free hand to cup his face before she leaned closer and kissed him soundly on the lips.

The move was quick and caught Daryl by surprise. His body was tense at first but after half a second he was returning the kiss with equal pressure and she couldn't help but sigh with relief at the feel of his mouth on hers.

It may not have been much, but to Beth, it was everything. Their relationship was blossoming by the day and she didn't care who thought what about them. She was happier now than she ever had been before and she wasn't looking to change that for anything or anyone.

* * *

**I hope this chapter didn't seem to OOC for Daryl. I decided he could speak a little more and be a bit sweeter when it came to words in general because he was drunk. **

**Thank you all for reading and please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Have another update, just because.**

**Technically this is a new day because it's gone midnight (in England, anyway) so that's my excuse for staying up to write this. **

**Beth and Daryl's relationship is progressing now and I hope that I can portray that well enough in this chapter. It doesn't have much drama because it's written in Daryl's POV and not Beth's, but it _does_ explain some bits and pieces of drama, so I hope that suffices instead.**

**Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

He wasn't sure how exactly it happened. He supposed that it happened just like everything else with them seemed to happen - _easily. _

One day she was living at her apartment, and then the next day she was moving her things into his house.

Daryl vaguely remembered the conversation that they had been having about how her landlord had written to her to let her know that the lease on the apartment was coming to an end and that she would have to notify the agency whether she was going to continue to rent the place or whether she would be moving out so that they could advertise for new tenants.

Beth had mentioned it so casually and Daryl hadn't even thought much about it before the words were out of his mouth. He had surprised himself and his heart was pounding loud and hard in his chest when she didn't reply straight away to his _'Why don't you jus' come an' live with me?'' _

He supposed that it just made sense. They spent a lot of their time together and she was already staying with him a few nights a week, so what harm would a few more do? Daryl liked having Beth around just fine and he guessed that as two grown adults, this was the next step in their relationship.

Beth had looked more than a little surprised at his offer but then she had smiled so brightly at him and dropped the letter from her hands so that it landed on the floor as she threw her arms around his neck and giggled into his chest. Daryl had just wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close whilst she grinned into him, mumbling words of thanks into his shoulder and telling him about all of the things she would have to get ready.

And that was that. Just a few days later, Daryl was helping her box up all of her belongings and then he was driving most of those boxes across town with her following behind him in her truck. It hadn't taken long for her to organise her clothes because she already had a lot of her things there anyway and he gave her most of the drawers and three quarters of the wardrobe. Beth had looked guilty for it but Daryl just told her that it wasn't like he had much stuff anyway so the space was just spare.

Besides, this was her home now, too; and she had just as much right to have a place for all of her things the same way that he did. Beth had made it clear that she intended to pay for half of the mortgage on the house with him, especially now that Carol had sorted for her to have a pay rise. It was only an extra three thousand dollars per year, but still, it was better money than she was used to so she was more than pleased.

So Daryl supposed that if Beth was paying half then this was fully half hers and so she could do whatever she wanted with the place.

That was how he ended up with what looked like a whole new house. Beth placed decorations on the walls - big paintings and canvases with quotes about life and home that had hung on the walls of her apartment. She brought picture frames and some of them were hung on the walls, too, but others were dotted around the house in random places like his bedside table or the coffee table. Beth filled the frames with pictures of them with their family and their friends and Daryl wondered when she had snapped so many memories because he didn't even remember half of these pictures, but he never said anything about it.

Beth also made sure that there were baskets of assorted flowers hanging outside of the porch and on all of the windowsills of the house, along with little ornaments and trinkets. The plant that he had bought for her was growing and Beth placed it on the windowsill of his bedroom.

_Their _bedroom.

It might not seem like a lot of change, but to Daryl it was. He found that he didn't mind and he knew that Beth sometimes felt like she was suffocating him because that's what she told him but the truth was that he kind of _liked _it.

Daryl liked the flowers that hung outside of the house and he liked the pictures in their frames and he liked the decorations on his walls. Daryl also liked the wooden bookcase that she had brought with her and she had given it a place in one of the spare rooms that he told her she could use as a little office for herself and Beth told him that it could be _their _office.

He had promised that he would make a desk for the room and she had just smiled that smile that told him she thought he was the best man around and thanked him again for everything.

Daryl had told his brother that Beth had moved in, but he was sure that Merle wasn't expecting the place to have looked so different already.

"Your girl don't mess 'round, does she?"

Merle had laughed when he saw the flower baskets, and he had laughed even harder when he saw the photo frames and the canvases.

Daryl had a sneaking suspicion that maybe Merle was a little bit jealous because he saw the way his brothers eyes lingered a little too long on the photographs and the way that his laugh sounded much more forced than usual. So Daryl didn't say anything at all because he knew that his brother was still shacking up with the married woman (who Beth had informed him was her supervisor at work, Carol) and he supposed that it must be hard seeing him settling down when he was still sneaking around with someone who had a daughter and a husband who couldn't find out about their little affair.

Beth was working when his brother first came round but Merle had decided that he was going to be spending the night at their place because Carol's husband had apparently arrive home early from a business trip and Merle didn't know where else to stay for the night. So when Beth arrived home, Merle was still plonked on the couch and drinking his fourth beer of the hour. All Daryl could do was glance at her apologetically, but Beth just smiled a the two men and greeted them as though Merle being there was the most normal thing in the world.

Daryl couldn't help but think that maybe he and Beth were more suited to each other than he had originally thought.

She had picked up some groceries from the store on her way home and Daryl took the paper bags from her arms with ease and carried them into the kitchen. Beth followed after him after she had asked Merle whether he would be staying for dinner, which was going to be home made spaghetti bolognese.

He helped Beth empty the bags and put away the food into the fridge and the cupboards and gave a little smile to her after she had bounced onto her tiptoes and kissed him quickly on the mouth. It wasn't long before she was shooing him out of the kitchen and telling him not to bother her until dinner was ready because he was always eating half of the food before she had even had the chance to put it on plates.

"You got it good, baby brother," Merle said as he took another long swig of his beer.

Daryl turned his head towards the kitchen door which was half-open and he listened to the sound of Beth singing to herself as she prepared their meal. He turned back to face his brother and just nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Merle was right. He really _did _have it good. Better than good, even.

Life living with Beth was _perfect._

* * *

Daryl had never been any good with crying women and he wouldn't just learn how to be good with them overnight, either. So he sat there a little awkwardly on his couch as he held Beth in his arms and listened to the sound of her whimpering against his shoulder.

She'd had another fight with Maggie that evening.

Daryl had stayed at home so that he could add some finishing touches to the desk that he had been making for their office whilst Beth had gone to visit her parents for a little while. She was close to her family and he understood that so he didn't mind about how much time she spent talking to all of her relatives on the phone or how much time they spent at their house. But tonight, instead of inviting her parents round to their place like she usually did, Beth had decided to call up to see her parents because she decided that she wanted to talk to her daddy about the trip that they were planning on taking to New York as well as see her old horse, Nelly.

He had said goodbye to her with a kiss and was surprised when he heard the key turning in the lock and Beth shuffling into the living room just over an hour after she had left. He brushed the chippings from the desk which was almost complete now before he made his way downstairs to find Beth sat on the couch with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking violently as she sobbed.

Daryl wished he knew what to do or say but he didn't have a clue where to even start.

He followed his instinct and sat down next to her before pulling her in close. At some point she ended up straddling his lap, resting her head on his chest and occasionally moving it up to his shoulder or to bury it in his neck as she carried on crying. Daryl wrapped his arms around her in a loose hold and rested his chin on top of her head, rubbing the muscles in her back as she let it all out.

Once she was a bit more calm, Beth wasted no time in telling him what was wrong. Daryl didn't even need to ask for her to start venting at him about Maggie and what she had said or done this time to piss her off. Daryl admitted that he was shocked to hear her swear and he was even more shocked (and a little amused) to hear that little Beth Greene had smacked her sister straight across the face.

It seemed that Maggie wasn't all too pleased about hearing that her baby sister was now living with Daryl Dixon on the other side of town. He could feel the guilty creeping its way back in once more but this time, he tried to push it away. Beth and Daryl had gone over this song and dance routine time after time and she always insisted that it was Maggie's grudge and therefore it was Maggie's problem, not his. And this time, it sounded like Maggie had pushed Beth too far and although Daryl couldn't ever imagine Beth being angry enough to physically hurt someone, he couldn't help but feel like Maggie actually deserved it.

But then Beth had gone and gotten herself worked up about slapping her and Daryl thought that Beth was far too sweet. He had near enough killed someone before just for looking at him the wrong way and Beth was worrying about smacking the bitch who thought that she could control her sister's life, even when her boyfriend had been almost beaten to death outside of their home.

"I shouldn't have slapped her," Beth said, sniffling a little as she shook her head.

Daryl pushed backwards slightly so that he could look down at her and Beth took the hint and looked straight back up at him. He kept one of his hands around her waist but he brought the other to her face so he could wipe away the dry tears from her cheeks.

Beth sniffed again and he offered her a smile.

"Nah," he said once he was satisfied that her cheeks were stain-free. "Sounds like she deserved it."

Beth nodded her head at him.

"She did," she said quickly and he almost laughed at her honesty. "But that doesn't mean it was right."

Daryl just shrugged his shoulders at her and carried on rubbing his thumb across her jaw even though her face was no longer damp from tears. He felt Beth shudder underneath his touch and he had a feeling that it wasn't because she was cold.

"I'm sure she'll get over it," he told her. She didn't say anything and he took the opportunity to continue. "You ain't a bad person, Beth. Fuck, you don't have a bad bone in your damn body, an' I know it ain't like you to go slappin' your sister, but it's prob'ly about time you did _somethin'_. I wouldn' worry too much 'bout it. Maggie _will _get over it."

It was the best that Daryl could do and probably the most that he had ever said to her all at once. Daryl didn't know where the courage or the words were coming from, and he didn't even know if they were the right words to say, either, but he felt better for saying them. It wasn't like he knew how to comfort anyone - hell, he hadn't ever even been comforted himself, so how would he know what to do for someone else? H

e was shit with words and he knew it and Beth knew it, too. But she still seemed to appreciate the effort that he had made and if he had said anything wrong, she didn't let him know it, simply stretching up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before she sighed and rested her head on his chest once more.

Daryl tilted his head down towards her so that he could place a soft kiss to her forehead and Beth made a pleased sound at the back of her throat. He moved his hand from where it had been positioned on her cheek and pushed it into her hair, enjoying the way that it felt wrapped all in his hands.

"I love you," she said.

He wasn't sure whether he would ever be able to get used to hearing her say those words to him, and he wasn't sure he would even try to get used to it, either. He secretly enjoyed the way that it made him feel - like he was the center of her universe, the only thing that really mattered at all.

And she was exactly that for him. He cared about her more than he really cared about anything and just like when he asked her to come and live with him, Daryl didn't even think about what he was saying to her until the words were out of his mouth.

"Love you, too, Beth," he replied, and his heart felt like it had almost stopped beating until he felt her smiling into his shirt.

* * *

**Considering I am half asleep whilst writing this, I don't think it's that bad, really. **

**There it is, though. He _finally _said it. **

**I might do a flashback to the fight that Beth just had with Maggie so that you get a bit of insight into it. Or I might just skip it entirely. Would you like to see it written or are you happy just using your imagination? If a few of you would like a flashback then I'm happy doing that in one of the next few chapters. **

**So yeah, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! **


	20. Chapter 20

**This chapter is kind of extra long but that's because the first part of it is the flashback. Hope it's not _too _long.**

**The first part of this chapter (the flashback) is in Beth's POV. The second is Daryl's. **

**Enjoy Beth _finally_ giving Maggie a good crack!**

* * *

_Beth was still singing along to the song that had been playing on the radio when she walked up the porch steps of the farmhouse. Hershel had left the door unlocked so she strolled right in, heading straight for the kitchen because that's where her mama almost always was._

_She loved visiting her family and even though she had moved out a long time ago, she still missed seeing her parents every day. Beth knew that she was welcome to come round any time - her mama always said so every time she called - so that was how she found herself here that particular evening._

_Daryl was busy finishing off the desk that he had been making for what was now dubbed their office and Beth couldn't wait to see it finished. Daryl was good with his hands - in every sense of the term - and could just about fix or build anything. Her daddy seemed to like that a lot, too, and Daryl had been over to the farmhouse several times to fix things up for the older man who constantly groaned that he wasn't as strong and capable as he used to be. Beth had been planning their vacation to New York and was incredibly excited about it and couldn't wait to ask her parents for some advice because she had never booked a holiday before._

_The only vacations she'd ever had were family ones and trips with school so she wasn't sure what to look for or how to go about booking things. Daryl didn't have much of a clue either considering he had never even left the state before so she decided that her mama and daddy would be the first point of call. If they didn't know, then she would probably ask Rosita or Tara, but for now she would have faith in her parents._

_Just as Beth walked into the kitchen, Maggie was walking out of it and the two girls bumped together unexpectedly. Beth didn't notice that it was her sister she had hit because she closed her eyes as she rubbed her head and laughed out an 'ow', but when she opened her eyes her smile quickly fell. Maggie was looking at her with hard green eyes that didn't give anything away, and Beth wondered just how long it had been since they had seen each other because her sisters hair had grown a considerable amount and was now brushing against her shoulders._

_Beth wondered whether Maggie thought that she looked any different and then she wondered whether Maggie knew that she was now living with Daryl at his house._

_Her sister cleared her throat and jutted out her jaw and then Beth heard the sound of her mama's voice greeting her from behind where her sister stood, but Beth's eyes didn't stray from Maggie's. The girls were staring at each other for what felt like forever and Beth only broke the eye contact when she felt her father's hand resting on her elbow._

_Hershel must have come from the lounge because she hadn't heard him coming down the stairs, and Beth jumped at the contact. She whizzed her head around to look at her father and smiled a little when she met his eyes. Eyes that were kind and soft and understanding; eyes so different from her sister's who seemed to be so cold and so hard and so judgmental._

_Her father spoke her name and told her that it was a lovely surprise to see her earlier than he thought he would be doing because she was due round for dinner tomorrow and would she like a drink or something to eat?_

_Beth nodded her head and was about to answer her father's question with words when Maggie's voice filled her ears._

_"What are you doing here, Beth?"_

_Beth blinked a few times, her mouth falling open a little before she turned around to face her sister. Her mama was stood behind Maggie and looked terribly unsure, staring right over her head and looking at Hershel._

_Maggie had crossed her arms over her chest and was glaring straight at Beth and Beth wondered just what she had done to make her sister so angry._

_Beth quickly decided that the only one who had any right to be angry was her and the softness disappeared from her eyes as she addressed her sister for the first time._

_"I came to see mama and daddy," Beth said simply._

_Her tone was not friendly and her voice was not sing-songy like it always was. She was tense and it showed and she almost flinched at how harsh she sounded but she quickly recovered._

_Beth had never been any good at being nasty or hurtful to anyone but this was different because she wasn't just angry anymore, she was furious._

_That fury only rose when Maggie rolled her eyes at her sister's answer and Beth felt her father's hand move from her elbow to her shoulder, giving her a supportive little squeeze. Beth glanced over at her mother who was still frozen to the spot and she wondered who would intervene first. She felt awful for doing this to them in their own home _again _but this really wasn't on her._

_If Maggie would have been at least civil with her then Beth wouldn't have had a problem, but the fact that her sister was being so rude again only made things worse._

_"Do you have a problem with me visiting my parents, Mags?"_

_Maggie narrowed her eyes at Beth and shrugged her shoulders._

_"I could care less."_

_Maggie's tone was harsh but Beth didn't let it bother her. Her sister always did this and she held a grudge worse than anyone else that she knew. Beth was tired of her childish behaviour and now it was her turn to roll her eyes and shake her head._

_"Bethy, why don't you come into the kitchen with me and I'll pour you a glass of lemonade," her mama suddenly said. "Maybe we can fix you up somethin' to eat, too."_

_Beth was just about to accept the offer when Maggie spoke again._

_"I guess I'll jus' be leavin', then," Maggie said._

_Annette frowned at the back of her daughter's head.  
_

_"Don't be goin' on my account," Beth retorted and Hershel's grip on her shoulder tightened ever so slightly._

_Maggie stared at her sister for a few seconds longer before she scoffed and shook her head._

_"Maggie," Hershel said in a warning tone._

_The older sibling raised her eyes to him and Beth watched as she glared at him now, too._

_"What?" Maggie said._

_Beth couldn't see her father's expression from where he stood behind her but she could imagine the disappointed look that he was giving his daughter right now. Beth couldn't remember a time when she had felt inclined to be rude to her daddy and she was a little shocked that Maggie was behaving this way towards him._

_Maggie had always been a little jealous of how close Beth and Hershel were. Her mama always told her that when she was growing up and encouraged her to be kind to her sister who loved her daddy very much but who just didn't have much in common with him the way that Beth did. Maggie's mother had passed before Beth had been born and Annette had raised her as though she was her own daughter the way that Hershel raised Shawn as though he was his own son, but that didn't necessarily mean that Maggie was grateful._

_"Don't be rude to your sister," Hershel simply said._

_Maggie looked at her father like he was out of his mind and mumbled something under her breath._

_"You always take her side," Maggie finally said after a few more seconds._

_Beth wanted to roll her eyes again because her sister was behaving childishly again, but she resisted the urge. Annette was looking right at her with sympathetic eyes and she wished that she could just teleport back home to Daryl and pretend that nothing had ever happened._

_Things weren't that simple, though. Especially not when Maggie got nasty._

_"Don't know why," her sister continued. "Ain't like Bethy is the little angel you think she is, shackin' up with Daryl Dixon of all men -"_

_"You don't _know _him," Beth hissed, interrupting her sister from what looked to be a full-on rant about Daryl._

_"An' you reckon you do?" Maggie snapped, leaning backwards a little, her arms still crossed over her chest. "You don't have a clue, Beth. You're so damn naive -"_

_"Maggie," Hershel warned, but Maggie continued._

_"And you actually think he's gonna look after you an' not dump you when he's finished playin' the nice guy."_

_Beth felt her firsts curl up into balls by her sides as she stared wide-eyed at her sister. Maggie didn't know what she was talking about - she didn't know Daryl, hadn't even met him - but she was so sure that she was right about everything._

_And maybe she was honestly just being an over-protective sibling, but even her older brother wasn't too bothered about it. Sure, Shawn had seemed a little surprised when she had mentioned to him over the phone that she was now not only dating but living with Daryl, but he had quickly bounced back and told her that he was happy for her. Beth assumed that her parent's approval of Daryl had something to do with it, but she didn't think too much into it._

_Beth wasn't listening properly but she heard her mama saying something to Maggie and then Maggie was shouting again._

_"You've all lost your minds. You think that he's this great guy but you -"_

_"You don't know him," Beth said again._

_"- don't have the slightest clue. You invite him round here and act like things are all fine and dandy whilst he pretends that he's some great person -"_

_"You. Don't. Know. Him."_

_"- an' ya don't even bat an eyelid when Bethy moves in with him and gets it into her head that things are perfect and then you'll leave it until he knocks her up and leaves her stuck with one of his kids whilst he runs a mile and -"_

_Beth slapped her._

_It just happened out of instinct and she had tried to shut her sister up but Maggie carried on pushing it. Beth had never had a bad temper and she had never raised her hand to another person and it honestly shocked her because it was so out of character for her. Beth couldn't see her father's face but Annette's jaw was hanging open and Maggie looked so angry but so sad, too, as though she was about to burst into tears._

_Beth knew that the slap probably didn't hurt at all and it had just shocked her sister into silence more than anything, but that didn't change the fact that she already felt so guilty for doing it._

_"You_ bitch,_" Maggie hissed out and was ready to lunge at her younger sister when Hershel stepped in front of her, blocking her path._

_Beth still couldn't see his expression but there must have been something about the way he was looking at his oldest daughter because her lower lip began to tremble and her mouth slammed shut straight away._

_"That's enough, Maggie," he said. "This has got completely out of hand an' I refuse to stand by and watch you two behave this way to one another."_

_Maggie looked at him in disbelief for a moment._

_"This is_ her_!"_

_"No," Hershel said. "This is you. This is your issue. I thought I had raised you better than to judge a man you don't even know for yourself, but apparently, I thought wrong. I am so disappointed in you and the way you have been treating your sister these past few months."_

_Beth wanted to cry in relief and hug her father tightly, but she decided that she would save that for a time when Maggie wasn't there with them because that would just be rubbing it in her face._

_Part of her didn't care that she was smug about her daddy being on her side. She had known that she was in the right all along, even if Maggie wouldn't accept it._

_"She jus' slapped me across the face!" Maggie retorted._

_Hershel stiffened at that and then let out a long sigh. Beth felt horrible for putting her parents in this situation and took a small step backwards, her eyes glancing towards the front door and then back to the back of her father's head._

_"Daddy," Beth finally spoke up, and Hershel turned to face her._

_His expression was soft but he looked exhausted. Beth couldn't fight the guilt that was bubbling within her, but she continued to remind herself that this was not her fault. This was Maggie once again._

_Beth loved that he seemed to be able to read her mind and his eyes flickered towards the front door of the house before they returned to hers. With a single nod of his head he gave her permission to leave and Beth let out a shaky breath of relief before she smiled at him and made her way quickly out of the house._

_She could hear Maggie yelling something again - probably protesting about the fact that Beth got to go and not even have to apologise for slapping her - but Beth just hurried to her truck and jumped in, wasting no time in starting up the engine and heading back home._

* * *

There had been a number of times that Daryl had been to the farm without Beth, but he could probably count them on one of his hands. Hershel and Annette Greene were good people, though, and they had both told him more than once that he was welcome to come around whenever he wanted.

Beth and Daryl usually spent at least one of their evenings having dinner at the farmhouse and then Hershel and Annette would come and have dinner with them, too. It had been a Greene family tradition to have Sunday dinner with family but Maggie had decided to skip those dinners for the last few months and over the last few weeks, Beth had been holding the Sunday dinner's at their house instead of the farm. She loved cooking and although she had been nervous and worried the first time that she had prepared food for the family, everyone had more than enjoyed the meal and Beth seemed to relax a little more every week that her parents came round to eat until one week, she seemed completely at ease.

Today, Daryl was far from at ease. He never really got nervous or tongue-tied but he supposed that was because he had never had anything to be nervous of before Beth Greene came into his life and he could hardly be tongue tied when he didn't speak that much. But today was different.

Daryl wasn't as comfortable as Beth was at the farmhouse and so he knocked on the front door twice and waited patiently for a response. Her daddy was always saying he wasn't as fast as he used to be and although Daryl never thought that he was too slow, he understood that it would take him a little while longer to answer the door if he was upstairs or at the other end of the house.

He wasn't waiting long and it was Annette who opened the door to him and pulled him in for a hug. Daryl still wasn't entirely comfortable with physical contact but he always accepted Annette's hugs without complaint and without even flinching. He was gradually getting used to it, though; considering all of his nights were now spent curled up in bed with Beth tangled around him and there never really was a day that went by when she didn't embrace him at some point.

"Daryl," Annette beamed once she pulled away. "So lovely to see you, sweetheart. Please, come in."

Daryl nodded at the older woman and gave her a little smile as he walked in to the farmhouse, stepping aside so that he could remove his coat. It wasn't exactly cold outside but it was a far cry from the peak of the summer now that Autumn had settled in and there had been a slight chill in the air these past few days.

Once Daryl had hung his coat on the coat rack at the side of the door he followed Annette through to the kitchen where she was baking. Daryl still couldn't believe just how alike Beth and her mama were, sharing the same warm but fiery personality and love of spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking all sorts of treats.

"Would you like anything to eat, dear?"

Daryl just shook his head no and took a seat at the table, shifting around a little awkwardly. Annette seemed to sense his tension because she gave him a look that told him to explain himself.

"Here to speak to Hershel," was all Daryl said, and Annette nodded her head at that.

"Is everything alright?"

Daryl eased up a little and nodded back at her.

"Yeah, everything's fine. S'just some stuff I wanted to go over."

Annette looked a little suspicious but she didn't push the subject anymore. Daryl wondered whether she could see right through him.

"He's just out back with the chickens," she told him. "You can wait for him in here or you can go an' find him, if you like."

Daryl cleared his throat and stood up.

"Guess I'll go an' find him," he said with a shrug.

Annette seemed pleased with his answer because she beamed up at him. The Greene women made him feel like he was stupidly tall because they were impossibly small and they were always looking at him in a way that made him wonder how exactly they weren't breaking their necks. Maggie was apparently taller than Beth and Annette, although Daryl wouldn't know because the two had still never met.

It didn't bother him that Maggie didn't like him, but it bothered Beth and _that _bothered him. Daryl couldn't stand seeing her upset and although he knew that of course there would be another time when he had to see her cry, that didn't mean that he wanted to.

The problem was that he loved her. He had accepted it a few weeks ago and even told her so and although he hadn't said it much since, he had said it a few more times and every time Beth looked like she was so damn happy and he wanted her to always smile like that at him. Daryl wondered whether she knew how big of a step it was for him to tell her that he loved her but she must have had an understanding about it or she probably would have complained about him not saying it back to her straight away.

Daryl found Hershel in the chicken coop just where Annette said he would be and the older man looked pleasantly surprised to see him walking into the barn. Hershel smiled up at him and pushed himself up from where he had been knelt on the ground collecting eggs.

"Daryl," Hershel smiled. "How are ya, son?"

There he went again, calling him that. Sometimes Daryl wondered whether Hershel really considered him family or whether he was just sitting around and waiting for Beth to get bored of him. But then he went and called him things like 'son' or said things like _'when you and Bethy are older' _and it made him feel like he really was a part of this family now. Daryl had never had much in terms of family - a shitty pa and a beat up ma and a brother who fucked off at the first chance that he could - but he was slowly beginning to feel like maybe he had found on in the Greene's.

"Not bad," Daryl said in answer to the older mans question. "You?"

Hershel shrugged his shoulders and straightened up his back.

"Knee's been playin' up again," he sighed. "But other than that, not too bad."

Daryl nodded his head at that and watched as two of the chickens began fighting with one another.

"What can I do for you, Daryl?" Hershel asked.

Daryl knew that this had been coming. After all, it was the whole reason that he had visited the farm today, but that didn't make it any easier for him. He was no good with talking to people about anything, especially not his girlfriend's daddy. As much as Hershel was kind and accepting of him and almost seemed to have a mutual respect for him, that didn't mean that anything about this was easy.

"Thought I'd come by," Daryl started, but then he felt like a bit of an idiot.

He paused and thought for a moment before he spoke again.

"Wanted to talk to you."

Hershel gave the same curious look that he had seen on Annette's face just minutes earlier but the older man eased up a little and nodded his head.

"Alright," Hershel said. "Why don't ya come with me to check on the horses and we can talk on the way over there."

Daryl followed behind Hershel as they approached the stables and he visibly swallowed down the lump that was in his throat. He could feel himself begin to panic and he had honestly no idea what to say or where to begin or how to ask but -

"I wanna marry Beth."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and Daryl's ears were burning red but he didn't take it back. Hershel didn't look shocked or surprised as he walked next to Daryl in the direction of the stables. He didn't look angry or pissed or offended. Nor did he look like he was about to burst out laughing and tell him to fuck right off because it was never going to happen.

Instead, the older man looked... well, he looked kind of _pleased. _His lips were turned up in a little smile and when he turned his head to face Daryl, his light eyes were twinkling and dancing the same way that Beth's did sometimes.

"I know I ain't good enough for Beth," Daryl continued, darting his gaze away from Hershel and looking at the stables that lay ahead instead. "An I know that I probably ain't who you had in mind for a son in law. But I love your daughter an' I wanna marry her."

Daryl swallowed again and now his palms were sweaty and he couldn't help but think that maybe he was being rude. Was he being rude? Should he get down on one knee to Hershel and ask for his permission to marry his youngest daughter that way? Would that be more appropriate?

"I ain't too good with words," Daryl frowned at the ground. "An' I know I probably sound like an idiot. But I wanna ask you... I wanna..." He sighed and thought for a moment. "I'd like to get your blessin'. Before I ask her to marry me."

Hershel stopped walking and it took Daryl half a second to realise that, but when he did he turned on his heel and looked straight in the other man's eyes. He may not have been confident at all but he tried his best to pretend he was as Hershel's eyes searched his face.

Daryl wasn't sure what the other man was looking for and he waited and waited and waited, his heart drumming loudly in his ears and his mouth and throat all dry and hoarse. But Hershel must have found whatever it was that he had been searching for in Daryl's face and eyes because he broke out into a full-on grin and took a step towards Daryl, reaching out his hand and slapping it on his shoulder affectionately.

"Thank you for askin' me, son," he beamed. "You make my Bethy happier than anythin' in this world, an' I knew that it wouldn't be long until she wasn't my Bethy anymore, but yours." He paused for a second before he let his arm drop back to his side. "My daughter thinks you're a good man, an' so do I, an' so does her mama. Of course you can have my blessin'."

Daryl felt almost lightheaded and he wasn't sure whether he was dreaming it or not but he grinned anyway and let out a little laugh. Hershel just grinned back at him for a moment before he carried on walking back in the direction of the stables.

"I gotta ask you somethin', though," Hershel said after a moment.

Daryl was still grinning to himself and just nodded his head.

"You are gonna cut your hair before the weddin', aren't you?"

* * *

It was late when Daryl got home and he found Bet sat in the office reading over one of her many textbooks. He positioned himself in the doorway and rested his head against the frame of it, watching her focusing on the words for a few moments before he interrupted her.

Beth looked so engrossed in what she was reading and she was highlighting words, too. Daryl almost wanted to laugh because he knew that she knew all the stuff in those damn books and he knew that she was a good nurse - hell, probably the best nurse in that hospital - but she was always worrying that she needed to be better. Daryl wished that he could find the words to tell her that he thought that there was nobody better than her at her job, even if he hadn't seen her working, but he didn't have a clue how to do that.

He just hoped he said it well enough with his eyes and his kisses like he always tried to.

It took a few minutes for her to realise that Daryl was there and he saw the moment that she noticed him because she jumped out of her skin when she caught a glimpse of him. The highlighter fell from her hands and dropped onto the floor and she looked so damn scared as she placed a hand over her heart.

But then the sound of her laughter filled his ears and he couldn't help but smile. She stood up from where she had been sat at the desk and approached him slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

It was moments like these that he lived for and he hoped that she lived for them, too. Beth had been working herself into the ground covering shifts at the hospital for Carol these last few weeks because the woman had unfortunately lost her husband who had apparently been drinking and fell into a river not too far from Beth's old apartment and drowned there. Her supervisor had been devastated and Merle had joked that he was taking good care of her but Daryl hadn't told Beth that.

Beth just shook her head when he told her not to worry about work so much and told him that above anything else, she wanted to cover for Carol so that she didn't have to come back to work until she felt ready, but that she also wanted to get some extra hours to put towards the money that they were saving for their vacation. Daryl had insisted that he would cover the costs for it but Beth had it in her head that they would need some ridiculous amount of spending money and that if he was paying for them to go then she had to save for them to spend.

Daryl didn't see what all of the fuss was about because he doubted that he would buy anything other than food but Beth's mama had told her that New York had the best shops that she had ever been to and that meant that Beth was now saving up like crazy.

"What are you doin' back so late?" Beth asked, still smiling at him as she spoke.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders as she played with his hair.

"Had to stop by the farm an' help out your daddy," he said.

It was only a little lie and Daryl felt so guilty for lying to her face but she seemed to accept it without question. He mentally reminded himself to apologise to her once the cat was out of the bag.

But he didn't want to propose to her yet. It wasn't that he wasn't ready to, because he knew that he was. But he also knew that whilst he was no good at romantic gestures and knowing what girls wanted, he knew enough to decide that he didn't want to just propose to Beth in their little office.

Daryl knew that Beth saw the beauty in everything and that maybe she would even think it was sweet of him to propose to her at home like that, but it still didn't mean that he was going to do it. But Daryl didn't exactly have a plan in mind, either. Her birthday was quickly approaching and he didn't want to take away the shine from that so he decided that he would just do it when he felt _right. _

He quickly wondered when he became such a goddamned sap but he pushed the thought away as quickly as it came, distracted by Beth's mouth on his and her hands tugging at his belt buckle.

If Daryl was going to be a sap for anyone, then he was glad that it was for her.

* * *

**Phew. That really was a long one.**

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone!**

**First of all, thank you so, so much for all of your reviews on the last chapter. I'm always overwhelmed by your responses to this story but I've now received over one hundred and forty reviews and also almost one hundred followers and I just don't even know what to say to make you all understand how much I appreciate it. I've never written a fanfiction before and have simply stalked this website, silently reading so many wonderful stories and being more than happy to do just that, but there's no better feeling than writing this and receiving all your wonderful feedback.**

**I've decided not to include the full trip to New York in this story because I only think the end of it is important. I sat down and tried to write the whole thing for a while but really struggled to do that and then this chapter just seemed to basically write itself, so I've decided to go with this and keep at it. If a lot of you would like me to write the New York trip and publish it as a one-shot or maybe a two or three part piece on it's own then I'll probably do that because I think I would still like to write it, but if none of you are really interested then I probably won't bother and will just concentrate on this. Let me know what you think.**

**Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Enjoy your fluff. **

* * *

Daryl asked her to marry him.

He asked her on the last day of their three-day vacation to New York. She had fallen in love with the bright lights and the tall buildings and the crowded streets and she had honestly thought that their trip couldn't get any better.

But that was before she came back to the hotel room with him and was grumbling about how she was having to start packing all of the things that she had bought when she realised that he hadn't said anything. She turned around to face him and he had just closed the door and had a little jewelry box in his hands and Beth didn't know what she was expecting him to present her with, but it hadn't been a ring.

Beth quirked a brow at him and her lips were slightly turned up as she looked at him in surprise. And Daryl smiled, too, but then he cursed under his breath and looked at her apologetically before he bent down on one of his knees, offering the jewelry box to her. Beth was frozen still and she wondered whether she was dreaming because this was _Daryl Dixon _and she was certain that his hands were trembling slightly as he flicked open the lid.

And she gasped and she knows he heard because it was so _perfect. _It was simple and silver but it had a little yellow stone in the middle and Beth wondered where he had gotten it and whether he had chosen it by himself because if he had then she was impressed. Her eyes darted from Daryl's to the ring and then back to his baby blues, not knowing where to look and feeling slightly flustered.

"Beth," he said, her name sounding so soft in his low voice. Beth couldn't remember the last time she had heard him speak to gently to her. "I... I can't fuck this up," he chuckled, speaking more to himself than to her and then he raised his head from where he had lowered it and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

Beth really, _really _hadn't been expecting it.

The world seemed to have stopped spinning for a while and Beth thought that Daryl was looking at her a little nervously and then he was clearing his throat and chewing on his lower lip and she realised that she had just been staring at him for what felt like forever and she hadn't even given him an answer.

"Oh," she giggled, wiping her hands underneath her eyes before she offered him a dazzling smile and a small laugh. "Yes," she breathed. "Yes, of course I - yes."

Daryl relaxed at that and smiled as she squealed and then he stood up and before he could even do anything Beth had stood on her tiptoes and cupped his face with her tiny hands. Daryl still wasn't completely at ease but she felt the tension slowly sliding away from him as he deepened the kiss and all that she could think about was _this man _and how perfect everything he did was. Beth was so happy with him and their trip to New York had been so beautiful and wonderful and just when she had thought that things couldn't possibly get any better, Daryl went and showed her that yes, they could.

Eventually one of them broke the kiss - Beth couldn't remember which - so that they could breathe. She was panting heavily and trying to catch her breath and before she even got a chance to do that, Daryl's lips were on hers again and he was lowering her down onto the bed.

The room that they were staying in was basic and simple but it was nice regardless and the bed was comfortable, too. Daryl had already made love to her several times on that bed but tonight would be different because tonight they would be _engaged._

Beth didn't think about anything other than Daryl for the next forty five minutes. The way that his tongue felt against her as he lapped her up. The way that he tasted in her own mouth as she sucked and licked and flicked at him. The way that he felt as he filled her and the way that he sounded when he groaned her name and swore over and over again as he pounded into her.

Daryl spilled himself inside her and Beth was still trembling, coming down from her own high, when he pulled himself out from her and collapsed on top of her. Their bodies were stuck together with sweat and the heavy scent of sex filled the room once more but Beth didn't care. She laughed a little breathlessly and she felt him smile from where his head was buried in the crook of her neck before he placed a kiss there, his stubble tickling her slightly.

And then he was suddenly pushing himself up onto his knees and the room was dimly lit and he couldn't see much but he was leaning over the bed and rummage around for something. Beth frowned but didn't say anything and just waited for him to find whatever it was. Eventually, he pushed himself back onto the bed so that he was leaning above her and then he was smirking down at her a little and she realised that he had found the jewelry box.

Beth couldn't help but giggle as he pulled out the ring and inspected it for a moment before he offered it to her. Beth just pushed her left hand towards him in encouragement and he was smiling again as he pushed the ring on to her finger and then that was that. It was a good fit - maybe a little bit big, but nothing that they couldn't fit - and she was excited to wear it and decided that she never wanted to take it off. Daryl laughed at that when she told him and just shook his head at her. She wondered if he was used to her silliness by now.

"Do you like it?" he asked from where he had lay down on his back beside her.

Beth had been gazing at the ring on her hand and had been running her fingers over it, marveling at how it looked and how it felt. The two of them had been planning on going out for dinner for their last night in New York but apparently that wasn't going to happen because it was getting later and later. They had already had sex twice and he had gone down on her once more and Beth highly doubted that she would be able to walk anywhere after the way Daryl's tongue had been worshiping her.

She grinned at him, their eyes level from where their heads were resting on the pillows, and then she nodded her head a little.

"I love it," she said in almost a whisper.

It was true, she really did. Beth wanted to ask him all of the questions she'd had when she first saw it - where he found it, whether he picked it himself, how he knew what size she was. But she didn't because they were both overwhelmed enough and after the night she had spent with him she found that words weren't needed and instead she was happy enough to twirl the ring in her fingers and admire the beautiful design.

"Yellow 'minds me of you," Daryl said.

Beth was a little taken aback at the sound of his voice and she jumped slightly, causing him to chuckle. She just smiled knowingly at him before she spoke.

"Really?" she asked.

Daryl nodded and made an 'mmm' sound and Beth let out a happy sigh for what must have been the hundredth time that holiday before she leaned over and placed her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart strumming beneath her. She was happy and she was peaceful and she savoured the moment for as long as she could because she knew that they flew home tomorrow morning and she needed to pack their things and that this time that they had to themselves would all be over before she could even blink.

As if reading her mind, Daryl placed a kiss on the top of her head and began tickling her bare back with his finger nails.

"You stay here," he mumbled. "I'll sort everythin'."

Beth frowned a little and craned her neck to look up at him, a little hesitant as her eyes searched his.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Daryl nodded again and she stretched as far as she could to give him a kiss, only being able to reach his jaw from the position that she was in due to the fact that his arms were wrapped tightly around her. He still smiled nonetheless and Beth rubbed at her face a little from where his stubble had scratched her.

"Are you gonna shave before the weddin'?" Beth asked.

The question made Daryl laugh - not just a chuckle, but a full-on laugh - and Beth wasn't sure what was so funny about what she had said but she smiled along anyway, enjoying the sound that filled her ears.

As much as she missed home, part of her really didn't want to ever go back. But Beth had a feeling that wherever Daryl went, she would definitely follow - even if it was all the way back to Georgia.

* * *

Her parents had already known that Daryl was going to propose and Beth was a little surprised at that because she couldn't imagine what the conversation between Daryl and Hershel would have been like and she wasn't sure that she wanted to, either. It was a moment that would be shared between them and maybe Daryl would tell her about it or maybe he wouldn't, and Beth wasn't sure it mattered either way. She would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that moment but she wasn't and she tried not to think too much about it, pushing her curiosity down.

Annette had organised a little party to congratulate them and Beth had joked about what if she would have said no, but her mother just smiled at her and told her that Daryl was probably the only one out of everyone who had even considered that possibility. Annette had invited nearly everyone that they all knew and to both Beth and Daryl's surprise, Merle was even there, too. He was accompanying Carol and her daughter, Sophia, and Beth and Daryl just looked at each other for a long moment at the sight of them but neither said anything about it until they were alone much later on.

Rick Grimes was also there too, along with Carl and Judith, and he had brought Michonne as a plus one. Beth didn't know the other woman personally and neither did Daryl, but she didn't hesitate to smile at them and congratulate them both and Beth decided that she liked her straight away. Daryl seemed to like her, too, and Beth noticed the way his eyes shifted to Rick and both of the men smirked a little at each other before looking away.

Beth wasn't sure whether she wanted to know what they were both thinking.

Her sister hadn't bothered to show and her mama apologised for that but Beth just shrugged her shoulders and told Annette that she was just pleased that Daryl could finally meet Shawn. Much to Rosita's despair, Sasha and her brother Tyreese had also been invited and Tara had even brought her girlfriend with her and everyone was smiling and seemed genuinely happy for them both.

Daryl was nowhere near as comfortable with everyone as Beth was and he spent most of the evening talking with Rick whilst Beth fluttered around the room and made an effort to speak to everyone. Most of her friends had heard about Daryl but none had ever met him before except for Carol who gave her a knowing smile and a playful shake of the head.

"You know," the older woman began. "When you started working at the hospital, I always imagined it would be you and Noah getting together, not you and Mr Dixon."

Beth's eyes glanced over at Noah from across the room who was stood talking with his date. Beth didn't recognise her and they had yet to be introduced, but she was sure that she was lovely enough. Noah had a habit of going for nice girls who more often than not ended up being the ones hurt by him when he got bored and decided to move on.

She wasn't sure what to say to that comment so she just hummed a little and smiled. Carol smiled back, too.

"I'm happy for you, Beth," she said, and Beth nodded her head.

"Thanks, Carol," she said.

Merle came out of nowhere and approached her from behind, slapping her a little too hard on the back and causing her to fly three steps forward, bumping into Carol and nearly sending the drink that she was holding straight onto the floor. Luckily Carol had a good grip of the glass and didn't even manage to spill a drop onto the floor.

She did however manage to give Merle a death glare that seemed to make the man tense up a little.

"Sorry, blondie," he said, but Beth knew that he didn't mean it.

But she didn't mind and just smiled a little at the man who was soon going to be her brother in law. Beth still didn't understand how Merle and Daryl were even related because they just seemed so _different. _

"I hear congratulations are in order," he said, and Beth just nodded her head.

His eyes roamed her body and Beth felt a little uncomfortable because Carol was standing right next to them but she didn't seem phased by Merle's behaviour. Beth wondered whether she was used to him being like this. He did give off a bit of a creepy vibe and she had thought that maybe being with someone would calm that but apparently it hadn't.

"Guess I'll be welcomin' ya to the family pretty soon," he said, licking his lips a little before he cracked into a huge grin. "Still don't see wha' ya see in Darylina, though. I reckon you would have a _lot _more fun with Ol' Merle -"

"Leave her alone, Merle."

Daryl's voice was low and he was placing his hand protectively on Beth's lower back. Beth just turned her head towards him a little and gave him a smile.

Merle was grinning at his brother, too, although Carol wasn't paying much attention as she was telling Sophia to go and play with Rick Grimes' son because he seemed like a lovely young boy.

"I's jus' teasin' her," Merle said, nodding his head towards her. "Ain't tha' right, goldilocks?"

Beth just pursed her lips but didn't say anything and was relieved to hear the sound of her daddy calling her over. She quickly excused herself, leaving Daryl glaring at his brother and mumbling something about always having to embarrass him in front of people. Hershel was beaming at his daughter when she crossed the room towards him.

"Everythin' okay, daddy?" Beth asked.

Hershel just nodded her head at his daughter and smiled at her warmly.

"You looked like you needed savin' from the oldest Dixon brother," he said simply, and Beth couldn't help but laugh.

"He's not so bad," she told him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss to her forehead.

"I know," Hershel said once he had pulled away from her. "I'm glad you're havin' a good time. All of these people are here for you."

Beth swallowed at that and flashed her brightest smile at her daddy but she knew that he could practically read her mind.

It didn't really matter who was there that evening. What mattered more to her was who wasn't.

More than anything, Beth wished that Maggie would just give Daryl a chance. She could do that and if she still didn't like him then it wouldn't nearly be half as bad as it was right now. Instead, Maggie was busy holding a grudge that meant she ended up skipping her engagement party.

Sometimes, Beth just needed her sister for moral support and encouragement and reassurance, and tonight was one of those times.

* * *

**I think that Beth and Maggie will address each other properly in the next chapter and really get to grips with how they're both feeling.**

**I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little chapter, even if it did end on a less fluffy note than it started on. **

**Please review and let me know what you think! And also please let me know how you feel about wanting me to write up the trip to NY or not. If nobody wants to read it then there's no point in me writing it. For those who would like me to write it, I'll let you know in advance that I've never been to NY myself (even though I would LOVE to) so if any of you have and have any ideas for things that Beth and Daryl could do/see then please let me know and I'll see what I can do.**

**Thanks again for reading! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews on the last chapter. I still can't believe the support that I'm receiving from you all for this story. You're the best.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Turning twenty four made her feel _old._

Beth had to admit that old was something that she had never felt before. But as she flicked through old photo albums - her mama embarrassing her and showing Daryl all the awful pictures of when she was younger and had braces and didn't know what hair straighteners or beauty products were - it seemed to hit her that this was her _life. _Beth wasn't a student anymore and she was actually living in a house with Daryl - a house that was actually their _own,_ not someone else's that they rented_ -_ and she had a car and a job and bills to pay. She was an adult, plain and simple, and now to top it off she was engaged.

It wasn't that she was scared of commitment or growing up. Because the truth was, she wasn't. It was just that more than anything, Beth honestly didn't know where the time went. When she had suddenly changed from that twelve year old with braces and gangly legs who blushed at the thought of kissing a boy. When she had gone from living on her daddy's farm to living in her own place. When she had gone from not even knowing of Daryl Dixon (other than the whispers that she had heard about him, but they were mainly about his brother anyway) to calling him her _fiance. _

Her parents invited her and Daryl over for lunch to celebrate her birthday because they thought that they might want to spend the evening alone and Beth was stuffed after eating as much as she could. There was a lot leftover because Annette always went over the top whenever she prepared food for guests but that was something Beth loved about her mama, and she thought that Daryl did, too.

Daryl had promised to stop by at Rick's to help set up Judith's new crib because Rick openly admitted that he was no good with anything like that. Daryl had asked her if she minded and Beth had just laughed a little and told him not to be silly, grateful to be with a man who was so considerate of her feelings. It was whilst he was out that Beth decided to give the house a quick clean and she was singing along so loudly to the radio that she almost didn't hear the doorbell ring.

Beth hadn't been expecting any guests and neither had Daryl as far as she knew, so she knotted her brows together in confusion as she walked to the door, a bottle of polish and a rag still in her hands. She pulled it open and was more than a little surprised to see Maggie standing on her front porch.

Part of her was curious how Maggie even knew where Beth lived because she had never been round before. But they did live in a small town and gossip spread like wildfire. Plus it wasn't so hard to find since the house was a little out of the way of town, closer to the woods than most people liked living.

"Maggie," Beth breathed, unsure of her tone.

Maggie looked a little uncomfortable but nothing major. She wasn't standing as tall as she usually did and her eyes were darting around the place, taking in everything around her. A few people - like Rick and Merle and even her daddy - had mentioned that they would have never imagined flower baskets hanging on Daryl Dixon's front porch. It looked like Maggie hadn't imagined that, either.

Her sister had probably assumed that she was living like a peasant in the middle of nowhere with a boyfriend who couldn't take care of her. Beth was glad in a way that Maggie was here so that she could see for herself that the two of them were doing alright. Sure, the house wasn't _huge, _and most of the furniture had either been made by Daryl himself or bought at second hand stores. But it wasn't like you could tell that by looking at it. The decorations Beth had filled the home with were mostly from markets and the odd clearance store, but the little trinkets they had were unique and interesting and that's what Beth liked most about them.

"Happy birthday, Bethy," Maggie finally said, and for the first time Beth noticed the little gift bag that her sister was holding in her hands.

As much tension as there had been between the two girls over the course of the last few months, Beth couldn't help but see this as a peace offering of sorts. It wasn't an apology and it wasn't what she really wanted but it was _something. _

Maggie had been horrible and selfish and cruel and controlling, and Beth wasn't sure that she would ever be able to forget that or recover from it completely. Her older sister had a tendency to smother her and it was more than just suffocating. But she had broken away from it and she was _free _now and Beth loved every minute of her life.

And she had missed her sister. She had missed her terribly and Beth wanted to tell her everything. She wanted to tell her about the nights that Daryl and Beth shared together and the dates that they had been on and the first time that he told her that he loved her. Beth knew that those moments had passed and the girls would never really talk about them the way that she had hoped that they would, but maybe there would be more moments that they could share together and Beth didn't want to miss out on those, either.

She accepted the gift from her sister's outstretched hands and invited her inside the house. Maggie stepped in tentatively and allowed her eyes to explore as she walked through into the living room at a slow pace.

Beth followed her through and smiled as she placed the gift down on the dining room table and put the polish and rag away. She offered Maggie some birthday cake that her mama had made for her and a drink of pink lemonade from the pitcher she had brought from her mama's, too. Maggie accepted her offer with a nod and Beth got to work on plating up two pieces of cake.

"Have you had a good birthday?"

The sound of her sister's voice was a little strange to her ears because it honestly had been so long since she had even seen her, never mind heard from her. Beth tried not to let it show and nodded her head yes as she chewed on some of her cake.

Maggie smiled at that but she looked a little sad, too.

"That's good," was all she said.

The two girls at their cake in silence and Beth took their plates into the kitchen and quickly rinsed them in the sink.

"Daryl will be home soon," Beth informed her once she had returned to the room.

It was awkward between them and Maggie looked a little sheepish at the mention of Daryl's name. But this was his home, too - it had been his home before hers and Beth didn't want him to feel uncomfortable in his own place.

"You're more than welcome to stay," Beth continued as she made her way towards the gift bag so that she could open Maggie's present. "But this is Daryl's home too and I don't want him coming home to get death stares an' a nasty tone."

Part of her felt a little guilty for saying it to Maggie but she needed to put her sister in her place. Maggie was stubborn and strong-minded and Beth had to admit to herself that she was more than shocked when she just nodded her head and looked to the ground in a guilty manner instead of standing up and screaming like she usually did.

Beth blinked at her sister a few times but she shook her head and snapped herself out of her thoughts before returning her attention to the bag. She carefully unwrapped the present and beamed at the sight of the necklace that her sister had bought for her.

"It's beautiful," Beth said as she admired it.

It was a locket that was decorated with the words 'Believing is just the beginning' and when she popped it open, she smiled at the picture inside. It was one that had been taken a year or so ago of all of the Greene girls - her mama, Beth and Maggie - and the memory of the picture made Beth grin. Maggie was watching her with a small smile on her own lips, too.

"Thank you," Beth said before putting the necklace on.

"You're welcome," Maggie said. "There's cards in the bag, too. From me and Glenn."

Beth let out a surprised little 'oh' and pulled out two cards from the gift bag. She opened the first which was a 'happy birthday' card and the second was a 'congratulations to both of you' one.

She knew that her eyes were probably bulging out of her head as she looked at the second card and her mouth opened slightly as she read over the inside three or four times, just checking that it was definitely from Maggie and Glenn.

It was, and Beth looked up at her sister with a blank expression. This wasn't an apology but it was indeed a peace offering and that was probably the best that Beth was going to get.

"Thank you," Beth said again after a moment and made her way towards the windowsill and placed the two cards down with the rest of the others.

Maggie didn't say anything this time and just watched her sister. Once Beth had placed the cards down, Maggie stood up and shifted uncomfortably on the spot.

"Well," she said. "I better get goin'. We're goin' over to Glenn's sisters for a pizza night."

Beth smiled at that and remembered a time when her and Maggie would have pizza nights. It all seemed so long ago now.

"Alright," Beth said, following her sister to the front door. "Well, thank you for stoppin' by, Mags. And thank you again for the gift."

Maggie nodded her head and looked at Beth for a long moment before she reached out her arms and pulled her in for a hug. Beth was frozen in place for a few seconds before she relaxed into her sister's grip and hugged her back gently. Maggie pulled away first and smiled down at Beth.

"I'll see you soon," was all she said before she turned around and walked towards her car.

Beth watched from the doorway as Maggie started up the engine and the two waved at each other before Maggie set off. Beth lingered at the front door for a while before she finally took a step back and closed it, walking into the living room a little stiffly.

It hadn't been much, but it had been something. Beth remembered all of the times that her daddy had told her that life was too short to hold grudges and she wondered if this was one of those times that she should listen.

She could try and forgive her sister for the things that she had done and the things that she had said, but deep down Beth knew that their relationship would never be the same. The Greene girls would never be as close as they used to be, but Beth couldn't take responsibility for that. She appreciated the effort that Maggie had made to come and see her and she supposed that her sister making the first move was something that took a lot of courage.

Maggie had never been one to make the first move or see what she had done wrong, so Beth supposed that this was a little victory for her.

Beth was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Daryl's bike pulling into the driveway and she smiled a little at the thought of him coming home to her. Her twenty fourth birthday may have been the birthday that she felt old for the first time in her life, but it had been a lovely birthday nonetheless and Beth couldn't wait to spend the rest of it with him.

* * *

**There we have it. They've finally spoken. **

**From the reviews I received after last chapter a few of you expressed that you were excited to see how Maggie and Beth would end up talking again. I debated it for a while and the idea for this chapter didn't come to me straight away because I wasn't sure what could bring the two sister's together. In the end I decided on Beth's birthday (obviously) because I would imagine that even though they had fought for as long as they had, Maggie would still want to give her sister a birthday present and see her on her birthday so that's why I settled for that. **

**I couldn't imagine Maggie just out of the blue coming to Beth for no reason because of how stubborn she is, so the birthday idea just seemed to make sense to me. I hope it makes sense to you, too.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A few of you expressed an interest in reading about what Daryl got Beth for her birthday, so this chapter is for you.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Daryl had been unsure of what to get for her.

He had asked her a few days before her birthday what she wanted as a gift and she had told him that she didn't want anything, joking that he was never going to top off the engagement ring anyway. Daryl wasn't sure how to take that answer because he was pretty sure Beth would tell him if she wanted something in particular but then Merle told him that females always say they don't want things and if you actually listen to them and don't get them anything, they'd be annoyed.

Daryl fought inwardly with himself as to whether or not to really listen to Merle's advice. It was Merle after all and his advice had never done anything except get him and everyone around him into trouble. But Merle was actually alright with women in a way that Daryl never had been and it wasn't like he had a pa who he could ask. He could ask Rick because Rick was his best friend - a brother that he had chosen for himself instead of one who had that title by birth right - but given the trouble that he'd been having with Lori, he thought it was a little inappropriate to ask him for advice with women.

Not that Rick wasn't trying to move on. He had been meeting up with Michonne, some woman who worked with him and who he'd been friendly with for years. Daryl had never really met her before the engagement party but he supposed that she seemed nice enough. Then again, he had thought that about Lori and look what had happened there.

In the end, Daryl decided that Beth probably wouldn't be annoyed if he didn't get her a present, but he wanted to get her one anyway.

Annette had mentioned that she was going to bake her a cake to save Daryl the trouble of having to find one and although the older woman had been teasing him when she said it, he was secretly relieved. Daryl had never even had a birthday cake himself and he didn't have a clue on how he was supposed to pick a cake out for Beth.

Hershel had said something about how he was going to take her for lunch at some fancy cafe that was opening in the city that weekend to celebrate her birthday because he knew that Beth loved tea and cake and finger sandwiches, and Daryl thought that was a pretty good idea and wished that he had thought of it for himself.

Merle had suggested getting her some fancy lingerie and even said that he would pick it out for him; but Daryl had frowned at that, and not just at the thought of his brother picking underwear for Beth. Daryl didn't think that she needed anything like that and he liked all the things that she had already. Daryl hadn't even thought before he said that to Merle and then Merle was laughing at him and calling him a pussy, questioning whether he was really a Dixon because he sure as hell didn't sound like one.

Daryl searched for ideas on google but came up short and it ended up being the day before her birthday and he still hadn't found anything for her. He called over to Merle's - which was actually Carol's house, but he was living in it with her now - and was told by Beth's supervisor that Merle wouldn't be home for another half hour but that he was more than welcome to come inside and wait for his brother. Daryl had just nodded his head and strolled into the living room a little awkwardly, sitting down on one of the armchairs and picking at a hole in his jeans when it hit him.

"Carol," he said, and the older woman looked up from where she was sat reading a newspaper.

If she was surprised to hear him ask her, she didn't show it. She simply gave him a close-lipped smile and he was sure that he saw a little sympathy in her eyes when she heard the '_I ain't got a clue what Beth'll want for her birthday.' _Carol seemed to understand what he was saying and asked him if he wanted her to write a list.

Daryl had never set foot in the town bookshop before and he just shoved the note at the man behind the counter whose name tag read _Eugene. _Eugene seemed a little strange but harmless enough and he paid for the three books that Carol had told him that Beth would like and he drove back round to Merle's, this time with wrapping paper, and asked Carol if she knew how to wrap presents because he sure as hell had never wrapped anything before.

When he arrived home from Rick's, he was greeted by Beth standing in the living room with a bright smile on her face. Daryl smiled back at her and noticed that the smell of polish was strong in the air and he was about to scold her for cleaning when she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He was slightly taken aback at the gesture but he let his arms rest around her hips anyway as she clung to him. She finally pulled away and Daryl couldn't help but give her a confused look, one that she just laughed at before she placed a kiss to his cheek.

"You're in a good mood," Daryl said and Beth grinned up at him.

It took him a second to see it but the light hit the gold in a way that made it shine and his blue eyes looked down to her chest and saw it dangling there, resting perfectly against the neckline of her light green cotton dress.

Daryl quirked an eyebrow at it, silently asking about the locket and where it had came from. Beth understood what he was saying to her - she _always _understood - and smiled even brighter, placing her small hands on it and opening it up. Daryl had to bend his head slightly and squint because the picture was so small but he realised that it was one of Annette, Beth, and Maggie.

Maggie and Daryl had never met and he had seen pictures of her and caught glimpses of someone who he thought was her around town, but they had never actually been in the same room as each other so he couldn't be sure that it was actually her. But he knew that the girl on that picture had to be Maggie.

"She give you this?" Daryl asked, a little shocked.

Beth nodded her head quickly and smiled at him.

"Maggie came round a little while ago," she said. "She brought me this and a birthday card... And a card for both of us, too."

Daryl blinked at Beth and wasn't sure what to say to that because he was more than a little taken aback. Beth gestured to the cards that were scattered across the windowsill and he spotted the new two that sat right at the edge. He couldn't really take in the detail from where he was stood but he already knew why Maggie would have given Beth a card for the two of them and he wasn't sure whether to believe it or not.

He knew that he wasn't an angel - never had been, probably never would be, either. Daryl had ran with the wrong crowd and listened to his brother for far too long to be considered a good person. He was used to being judged and he wasn't too bothered, either. As far as he was concerned, people could think whatever they liked of him and it was no sweat off his back.

But Beth deserved better than that life and he knew it and he had felt honest to God _guilty _after she had fallen out with her sister. Even if Maggie thought it was her own fault, Daryl was pretty sure that it was his because Maggie was only judging him on things that she had heard, and most - not all, but most - of the things that she had heard were probably true, anyway.

"Mags didn't apologise," Beth told him after a few seconds of silence. "But she did give me this and I guess... I don't know. I guess it's a nice gesture of her. Right?"

Daryl nodded his head at that and Beth smiled up at him again. He knew that she had missed her sister; she had even told him a few times, and Daryl was just glad that Maggie had put her pride aside for Beth's sake. Even if it was just for one day.

"Still gotta give you my present," Daryl said.

He had forgotten all about the books and Beth's face fell a little as she reminded him that she told him not to get her anything, but Daryl just ignored her as he went to grab the gift bag from the spare room. It was pink and shiny and he had grimaced a little at buying it but he bought it anyway. He had stopped by at Karen's florist and bought Beth some flowers, too, even though he still didn't see the point in buying flowers that were just going to die. When he had said that Karen had told him that it was different if it was for a birthday and that the flowers were going to die anyway, so he may as well at least give them to Beth instead of letting them rot away.

She gasped at the sight of them and she took the flowers before she even took the bag. Daryl couldn't remember what Karen said they were, but they were different shades of blues and yellows and pinks and they just reminded him of Beth. He was glad that Beth seemed to like them and she stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the lips before she filled an empty vase with water and placed them in it, cutting them from the paper that they had been wrapped around and placing them one by one into the water.

Beth had placed the vase on the dining room table and she admired the flowers once they were all inside of it. Daryl cleared his throat and offered her the gift bag and Beth's eyes softened once more at him.

"Daryl," she said.

He didn't say anything and just collected the paper that the flowers had been inside and scrunched it up before taking it to the waste basket whilst Beth opened her presents. Daryl heard her gasp from where he was in the kitchen and silently thanked Carol for her insight when Beth rushed to him and threw herself around him for the second time in twenty minutes.

Beth asked him how he knew that she would love those books and Daryl just shrugged his shoulders, about to admit that it had all been down to Carol's insight, but Beth cut him off with a kiss.

It wasn't long before her mouth was attacking his hungrily and a small part of him wondered why he hadn't asked Carol for gift ideas sooner because if he had known that just buying her some books about nursing would cause her to jump him like this, then he would have probably bought her the damn bookstore a long time ago.

* * *

**This is a little bit shorter than what I usually write but that's probably due to the fact that it's all one part as opposed to two or three parts over a longer period of time. I hope you enjoyed it either way.**

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**This chapter speeds up the timeline a little bit. ****I'm not sure whether or not you can tell by the fact that I've posted three chapters in the space of a few hours, but I've really got nothing else to do today so I decided to write more for this story. **

**Ideas just keep springing to mind and I'm blaming it on the fact that I've now officially finished my first year of University and also the fact that I'm a _little_ bit excited to have a nice, long break from studying.**

**I'm also not an expert on weddings, nor am I an expert on different religions and I've only ever been to Church wedding's with priests so I'm going to be using a priest in this story for the purpose of me kind of having a clue what I'm talking about. I hope that makes sense because the more I read that sentence the less it makes sense. _(I'm not going crazy, I promise.)_**

**The ending of this chapter contains smut so if you don't like that sort of stuff, then you've been warned.**

* * *

Wedding planning was much more time consuming than she had thought it would be.

Beth knew that she was probably turning into bridezilla, but she couldn't help it. This was _stressful. _She had never even considered half of these things before and suddenly she was tearing her hair out about the font that they would use on the invitations and the colour of the the dresses that the bridesmaids would wear and whether her vale would be long or short.

Daryl was a little overwhelmed, too, but he had a much more relaxed attitude than her. He had encouraged her to relax over Christmas and she had been glad for it because otherwise, she was sure that the whole planning business would have ruined the whole holiday.

But Christmas came and went and so did Easter, too, and summer was quickly approaching. They had finally set a date and had decided that they were having the wedding and the reception at the farm because as much as Beth would have loved a traditional Church wedding, the idea of Daryl stood at the altar of one with Merle sat on one of the pews made her giggle a little _too_ much and she thought that the farm had more meaning to her, anyway.

In the end she had settled on her bridesmaids; two of her closest friends, Tara and Rosita, two of her cousins (who she didn't get to see as much as she would like to), Lizzie and Mika, and one of her favourite little girls, Judith Grimes. Beth had chosen for Maggie to be her maid of honor because even though they had fought for a long time, Maggie was still her sister and ever since she had visited on her birthday, Maggie had been making much more of an effort when it came to Beth and even with Daryl, too.

The first time that they had met had been a little bit awkward and Beth knew that whilst Daryl wouldn't hold a grudge against Maggie, he would probably never exactly like her, either.

_Beth heard the doorbell ring and Daryl groaned when she pulled him from her mouth. She smiled up at him apologetically before she rushed out of the room, leaving him to pull his boxers and jeans back up his hips. _

_"Maggie," Beth had said in surprise when she opened the front door._

_Since visiting for Beth's birthday, her sister had been inviting herself round a lot more. _

_But she had always managed to dodge Daryl before._

_"Hey," Maggie said, brushing past her sister and waltzing right into the living room._

_That was Maggie - always making herself right at home. Beth watched her for a moment before she closed the front door and followed her in, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear and hoping that it wasn't too disheveled so that it didn't give away what she had just been doing. _

_"I was just on my way in to the city an' thought I would stop by. What are ya doin' today?" _

_The sound of Daryl's footsteps coming down the stairs caused Maggie's eyes to widen dramatically, although Beth wasn't sure where her sister assumed that he would be. After all, it was a Saturday afternoon and both his truck and his bike were parked in the driveway, a clear indicator that he was home. _

_Beth tried to act as normal as possible and just smiled at him innocently when he walked through the door. Daryl definitely hadn't been expecting their guest to be Maggie, but as usual he had a good poker face and didn't give anything away. _

_The room was silent for a minute and Beth's eyes darted between Daryl and Maggie. Maggie eventually cleared her throat after what seemed like forever and gave him a small smile. _

_"Hey, Daryl," she said._

_Daryl just nodded his head towards her before he turned to face Beth. To Maggie, he probably seemed unphased, but Beth could see that he was tense and unsure. She offered him a small smile and patted the space next to where she had positioned herself on the couch. _

_"Sit down," Beth told him. "I was just gonna ask Maggie if she wanted anythin' to eat. Do you want a sandwich?"_

_"Sure," Daryl said as he made his way to where she had gestured for him to sit. _

_Beth turned her attention to Maggie and confirmed that she, too, would like a sandwich. She made them as quickly as she could and listened as Maggie tried - and failed - to strike up a conversation with Daryl. Beth had sighed and eventually put Maggie out of her misery by bringing them their food, swooping in to save the pair of them from the horrible experience of having to communicate with one another._

_Well, it had basically been Maggie communicating with herself. _

Maggie was civil enough to him and in all fairness, she had tried hard to get along with him, but Daryl never really seemed to interested and would just grunt and shrug and nod at her, never entertaining her with as much conversation as he did with her daddy and her mama and Shawn and even Glenn.

Beth couldn't blame him, though; and she knew that she never would, either. Maggie had made her bed and now she would have to lie in it.

She was spending the day with her mother, trying her hardest to choose a dress for the wedding. She had eventually settled on bridesmaid dresses that were strapless and long for the older girls and short for the younger ones and a soft pastel pink that would suit them all. Annette had chosen her own outfit and Daryl had shrugged when Beth mentioned the groomsmen's outfits and he just said that Rick, Carl and Merle could just wear dark suits with dark ties and white shirts and that would be that.

Beth envied how much simpler men had it than females.

"This one's pretty," Annette said as she pulled out another dress.

The two women had taken a trip to the city because that's where her mama said all of the best shops were and Hershel had insisted that he would be paying for his daughter's wedding dress, even though Beth thought that he had already done enough by allowing them to use the farm to get married and have the reception at. Beth pulled her face and shook her head no and Annette let out a little sigh in defeat.

It had been a long day and both of them were ready to give up when Beth saw it.

The dress was simple but elegant. It had lace arms that stretched up to the neck and then dipped lower to the edge of the bodice. The dress itself was strapless and simple, tight on the waist and looser as it fell to the floor. The train of the dress wasn't too long and as a whole it was nothing over the top or dramatic. Annette watched her daughter running her hands over the material - which was so _soft _it was almost untrue - and gave her a knowing smile that Beth couldn't help but return.

"Why don't you try it on?" Annette asked.

Beth bit her lip for a second and contemplated it before she nodded her head eagerly, taking the dress and heading straight towards the fitting rooms.

* * *

"An' I ain't allowed to see it?" Daryl frowned.

Beth just shook her head at him.

"No, Daryl. It's _tradition._"

"Ain't it tradition not t'have sex 'fore you get married, an' all that sorta crap?"

Beth's lips formed a little 'o' and she admitted to herself that he had a good point. She resisted the urge to laugh and just shook her head.

"It's not the same," she told him.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and didn't say anything more about it and Beth was secretly pleased because in all honesty, she was very excited about the dress that she had found and she really did want to show him - or at least describe it to him. Beth knew that if he would have encouraged her to tell him then she wouldn't have been able to help herself.

Beth pulled up her pajama shorts and ran a comb through her hair several times before she finally crawled her way up the bed. Daryl was resting against the headboard, reading some book about cars that he lowered as she approached. Beth smirked a little as she made her way over to him and straddled his lap as he placed the book down on the bedside table.

His hands raked up and down her legs a few times before they settled on her lower back. Beth hummed at the feel of his hands rubbing into the muscles there and leaned down to press a kiss to his lips.

"I can't believe I'm goin' to get married," she whispered against his lips, blue eyes twinkling a little as she spoke.

Daryl smirked at that.

"You're tellin' me," he mumbled playfully.

Beth grinned before she kissed him once more. She knew that half of the people in town probably couldn't believe it, either - not so much that she was getting married, but that she was getting married to Daryl Dixon. Beth was disappointed that people still seemed to think it strange that they were together and part of her was curious as to whether anyone would really ever get over it.

After all, it had been such a long time since people first started clocking on that they were more than just friends.

"I hope it doesn't rain," she thought out loud.

Daryl just shrugged in reply as she leaned in to him so that she could place her head on his shoulder. She nuzzled herself against his neck before she let out a comfortable sigh. Beth knew that he wouldn't be too bothered about the weather either way.

"What time do you want me to set an alarm for the morning?" Beth asked as she pushed herself away from him.

Daryl mumbled a 'seven' out as he rubbed one of his eyes with the back of his hand and yawned loudly. Beth rolled herself from him and bent over the bed so that she could reach her phone to set an alarm. Before she could even get chance to unlock her mobile, she heard Daryl let out a low growl and then his hands were on her hips, flipping her over so that she was lay on her back and he was towering above her in one swift movement.

Beth's breath hitched at the back of her throat in surprise and her eyes widened, her lips parted as she let out a shaky breath. Daryl smirked from above her and wasted no time in couching towards her and nipping at her earlobe. Beth let out a long moan at the sensation and couldn't help but shudder as he whispered in her ear.

"What d'ya think you're tryna do to me, girl?"

His voice was low and she could feel wetness pooling between her thighs as a result of it and she groaned again as Daryl began placing sloppy open-mouth kisses down her neck and towards her chest. He didn't bother removing her tank top, choosing instead to grab the neckline of it and yank it down to give him access to her breasts.

Beth gasped when his mouth came in contact with her nipple and she couldn't help but arch her hips as he nibbled on it ever so slightly. The sensation was delicious and it didn't take long for her to be a whimpering, quivering mess beneath him - especially not when his fingers dipped under the waistline of her cotton shorts and slipped inside of her.

She thought she was going to lose it when one of his fingers that was still slick and wet from being inside her brushed across her clit, but she managed to hang on a little more. Her legs were shaking as he began to draw circles lazily and it was only when he mumbled a "_Come for me, Beth_" in her ear that she let herself tip over the edge.

It was as she gasped his name and tried catching her breath that he pulled the shorts down her legs and removed his own boxers. Daryl positioned himself at her entrance and Beth opened her eyes to gaze into his just as he pushed himself inside of her.

They had made love before - in fact, they did it often - but tonight, Daryl fucked her like the way he had done on their first time together and Beth moaned in pleasure when he spilled himself inside of her. The sensation of it was enough to make her shiver and she ran her fingers through his hair affectionately whilst he remained collapsed on top of her chest, his breathing heavy and his head buried into her neck.

Beth couldn't help but wonder whether it would always be this way. She thought that if the spark was going to fizzle out then surely it would have done by now; but in all honesty, she could never really imagine _not _feeling like this with him, and she could only be excited for what married life would bring for them.

"I love you," she murmured once he had pulled himself from her and dragged her head to his chest.

Daryl yawned as he wrapped his arms tight around her, placing a kiss to her head.

"Love you too, Beth," he said.

It couldn't have even been thirty seconds after he had spoken until he was snoring down her ear.

* * *

**Part of me feels a little bit guilty for taking such a big jump ahead in time but at the same time, I don't want to drag this story out until it's dead in the ground. ****I think I'm going to finish this story after the wedding so that it doesn't lose it's purpose and I would like for this to be the story that tells how they met and got together etc, and then I'll write a sequel to it where you all get your good share of Bethyl babies. **

**I'll probably write it so that it can be read alone or as a second part to this story and I don't think I'll wait to publish it, either. Once this has finished I'll probably just get straight on to writing it... I just think that it would be better as two separate fics instead of all in one. **

**Anyway, I just thought that I would keep you up to date with my plan for this story. Let me know what you think.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Thank you all once more for all of your reviews/favourites/follows of this story. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Beth moaned louder and louder with each thrust as Daryl slammed harder and harder. Her back was arching from the bed and his hands were holding her hips with a grip that would probably leave her bruised, but she was past the point of caring. In fact, the thought of it almost thrilled her. Beth gasped when one of his hands moved south and his thumb traced over her clit and oh _god_ she was so close -

"Y'havin' fun, baby brother?"

Beth's blue eyes flew open to meet Daryl's and she squealed as he quickly removed himself from her and flipped over so that he was sat on the bed next to her. Beth clutched at the bedsheet and pulled it up in an attempt to cover her bare chest, the pair of them now sitting up in bed and staring wide-eyed at Merle who was lounging casually in the doorway.

But then Daryl's eyes narrowed at his brother and he looked much more annoyed than she had ever seen him before.

"Fuck are you doin', Merle?" Daryl growled as he pulled his boxers up his legs.

Merle just laughed at his younger brother and Daryl grumbled something under his breath before instructing Merle in a not-so-polite manner to leave the room. Merle laughed again and shook his head as he walked out, not bothering to close the bedroom door behind him.

Daryl glanced over to her and Beth knew that she was blushing furiously but she was absolutely mortified and she wouldn't bother denying it, either. Daryl swore before running a hand over his face.

"Best go see what he wants," he said, but his tone made the statement more of a question.

Beth just nodded her head at him in agreement and Daryl gave her a sympathetic look before he rolled away from the bed and went to quickly get dressed. Once he had closed the door behind him, Beth exhaled a long sigh and threw one of her arms over her eyes, squeezing them tightly shut.

They _definitely_ needed to get that spare key back from Merle.

* * *

"I've ordered pretty much all of the food now," Annette said.

Beth was having a meeting with Annette and Maggie about the wedding which was only two weeks away now. These sorts of meetings were becoming a regular occurrence as the girls went over the final details, and although Beth always invited Daryl to take part, he never really showed much interest. Daryl had made it perfectly clear to her that this was her day and she could do whatever she wanted with it.

Maggie told her that she envied her because if her and Glenn got married then he would definitely want a say in most of the things and Annette told her that her daddy had said the same about their wedding, too. Beth supposed she was relieved because this whole wedding planning business was much more than she had bargained for and making little decisions was hard enough without her fiance disagreeing with everything that she had in mind.

"Write down the total and I'll transfer you the money," Beth told her, looking up from the stuffed ringbinder that was placed in the middle of the kitchen table where all three of the women sat.

Annette gave her daughter a look and Beth groaned.

"Mama, _please," _Beth said. "You and daddy are insistin' on payin' for _everything. _I don't even know if me and Daryl have paid for anythin' at all."

"That's not true," Annette quirked. "You've both paid for the flowers."

Beth shook her head.

"They didn't even cost one hundred dollars 'cause daddy's friend gave us the 'friends and family discount'."

Maggie chuckled at that and took a long sip of her coffee. Annette just shrugged her shoulders at her daughter and took another bite of her toast before pulling the ringbinder towards her and flipping through the contents, stopping at a page and reading the information on it.

"So who's your DJ again?" Maggie asked.

"I already told you ten times," Beth frowned. "Aaron. I don't know his second name. I don't even know _him_, but apparently he's good friends with Daryl."

"An' you've never met?"

Beth just shook her head no as she took a bite into her own toast.

"No," she said. "He lives in Alexandria, but he's comin' here especially for the weddin'."

Maggie accepted that and didn't ask anything more about it. Beth was pleased that she had her mother and her sister helping her organise everything and make sure that all bases were covered so that nothing was overlooked or forgotten.

The truth was that Beth was now at the point where she couldn't wait for the wedding to just be over and done with. She loved Daryl and she had done for a long time, and she knew that they didn't need a huge celebration to show that to anyone. But since she had been younger she had dreamed of what she thought was the 'perfect' wedding and her mama and her sister would never let her just head down to the registry office and sign a couple of papers to get married.

Well, they wouldn't exactly have a choice, but they wouldn't exactly be thrilled about it, either. And as much as Beth knew that Daryl would probably - no, definitely - prefer a quick and easy wedding like that, he constantly told her that he wouldn't want to do that with her because he wanted her to have 'the best'.

_The best._ What even was that, anyway? Beth was't sure that she knew. Was the best really a big fancy and expensive wedding that Maggie would want, or was it a simple and elegant wedding that had a classic sort of theme to it? Was it a wedding that was located in a church or was it one somewhere hot and sunny with a beach - maybe in Mexico or the Bahamas?

Her mama and daddy had paid for most of the wedding; but by most people's standards, the overall cost of their wedding was hardly breaking the bank. Father Gabriel had accepted to do the wedding for free but her daddy had insisted that they at least give a donation to the church and having the reception at the farm was saving a lot of money, too.

They had ordered gazebos and plenty of tables and chairs and food. Beth had also ordered some lanterns to decorate the trees and the gazebos - biting her lip at the suggestion because it reminded her of the first date that Daryl had set up for her.

She wondered if it would remind him that night in the forest, too.

"You know," Annette said, breaking Beth out of her daydream. "I think that might be everything."

Maggie downed the rest of her coffee and Beth finished chewing on the piece of toast that was in her mouth.

"Everything?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Her mama looked at her with soft eyes and an equally soft smile and just nodded her head a little.

"Everything," the older woman confirmed.

Beth smiled at her mama for a long moment before Maggie let out a _'woohoo'_, breaking the moment that the mother and daughter had been sharing and causing them all to giggle slightly.

"So," Maggie said as Annette closed the ringbinder. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Beth admitted. "Not at the thought of actually bein' married. I just... The day is gonna be long and tirin' and I just want everythin' to go _right._"

Annette smiled knowingly and Maggie let out a low whistle that strangely reminded Beth of Merle. The thought of her soon-to-be brother-in-law made her cheeks flush red almost immediately and she hoped that nobody noticed, because that was a conversation she did not want to have to have with her mother and sister.

Alright, maybe it wouldn't be too awful to have with Maggie. But her mama?

Not a chance.

"Bein' married is a big commitment, Bethy."

Beth had heard those words quite a lot since she had accepted Daryl's proposal and Maggie had said it to her more than once. Beth wondered if this would be one of the last times anyone said that to her.

"I know," Beth said. "An' I'm ready. Me an' Daryl are practically married already."

Annette chuckled at that before she stood up from where she was sat and collected the empty plates and cups from the table, heading straight towards the sink with them. Beth offered to wash the pots for her mother but the older woman just shook her head and told her to stay put.

"So when are you and Glenn goin' to get married?" Beth asked, a little smirk playing on her lips when Maggie's face fell slightly.

Maggie had always been the type to drift from relationship to relationship and had never really stayed put with one person. Beth had been shocked to hear that Glenn had been to more than one family dinner and she had still been shocked every time Maggie mentioned him to her. It wasn't anything personal, more it was that Glenn wasn't the type of guy that Maggie would usually go for.

But she supposed that that was a good thing and Beth would be more than happy for Glenn to be her other brother-in-law. He seemed nice enough and he even got along quite well with Daryl, too. But Maggie had always been a bit of a commitment-phobe and Beth wasn't sure if her sister would ever want to get married; even to Glenn.

So she wasn't surprised when her sister just shrugged her shoulders.

"Ain't worryin' about it right now," Maggie said. "Your weddin' is enough for me. Maybe one day."

Annette returned to the table and smiled knowingly at both of the girls.

"Maybe you could have a long engagement?" she suggested with a laugh.

Beth smiled at that and even Maggie's lips turned up a little, too.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Maybe."

* * *

Daryl had spent the day with Rick and still wasn't home by the time Beth arrived back from the farmhouse. She decided to get straight on with preparing dinner for the evening and settled on trying out making her own pizza.

"Best pizza I ever tasted," Daryl told her as he helped himself to another slice.

Beth just smiled at him and shook her head a little as she got another slice for herself, too. She began cutting into hers with her knife and fork whilst Daryl just shoved it in his mouth and took a rather large bite.

"Can't believe ya use them things to eat _pizza_," Daryl said, scoffing a little.

Beth would have raised her brows at him for speaking with his mouth full but she couldn't help but laugh a little. She wasn't sure what it was, but since she was little she had never been able to eat with her hands unless she absolutely had to. The thought made her shiver a little but then Daryl was leaning over the table and snatching the knife and fork away from her playfully, tucking them into the back pocket of his jeans and giving her a smirk.

She knew that all she would have to do it stand up and walk in the kitchen to get another set of them. Or she could just ask to have them back and Daryl would probably give them her, too.

But Beth just smirked back at him and let out a sigh in defeat before she picked up the slice of pizza with both hands and brought it to her mouth, taking a bite and savoring the taste.

Daryl was right. The pizza _was _pretty good.

"See," he said before he took another bite of his own slice. "Ain't all that bad."

Beth knew that he was referring to eating with her hands (which, OK, wasn't _that _bad), but she just smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"What can I say," she teased. "I'm a pretty good chef."

* * *

**I got the idea for the whole Merle walking in on Daryl and Beth idea from livetoloveeveryday and I think it is definitely something Merle and his bad timing would do. **

**I kind of feel like I'm copping out a bit and giving you a chapter that's more of a filler than anything else but I guess it's kind of important to show some sort of wedding planning, right? I didn't just want to jump straight to that, I wanted to include a bit of preparation. And then we could all use our fair share of Bethyl fun and fluff, so, you know. **

**The wedding will probably be either the next chapter or the one after that. **

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**I get emails through to my phone every time someone follows/favourites/reviews this story and I smile every time I receive one. You're all so supportive and amazing and I love hearing what you think of this story. It means so much to me that you take your time to let me know what you think and I honestly appreciate it so much.**

**After the last chapter a few people expressed an interest in seeing what happened after Merle interrupted Daryl and Beth. There's been a few times in this story when I haven't planned on including anything and then you've requested it and I have but for that scene in particular I couldn't see how it would fit in... Anyway, in the end I've decided to set up a story that follows alongside this fic called 'Only One: Missing Moments.' **

**The clue is in the name and it's basically going to be filled with random one-shots of scenes that I missed because they didn't fit or I didn't think to write them at the time etc. I've uploaded the first chapter as the scene after Merle interrupts and if there's anything you would like to see that I've missed out so far then please drop me a review on that story and let me know what you would like to see and I can't see any reason as to why I wouldn't write them. It's not going to be in any particular order or anything, literally just written according to what you tell me you would like me to write that I didn't include in this.**

**I won't be focusing on that more than this one as it is just a story to follow alongside this and I also don't plan on having any super long chapters but we'll see what happens cause since writing Only One I've found that I tend to get a bit carried away once I get into writing Bethyl. **

**ANYWAY! Mega long author's note now over. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

It was perfect.

It was all so perfect and tears were welling up in her eyes at the sight of it but then Annette was squealing and insisting that she couldn't cry or it would ruin her make-up. One of Beth's old friends from school, Amy, had offered to do her make-up and hair for free because she was just starting up her own beauty business and wanted the experience and the exposure that it would bring.

Maggie and Annette had pulled their faces a little, both insisting that they weren't judging her decision but was she sure that she wanted someone who wasn't a 'proper professional', in her sister's words. But Beth had shrugged her shoulders and said why not. After all, she had completed a course and surely she wouldn't have been accredited if she wasn't any good.

And even if it was a disaster, Beth could just wipe it off and do her own.

But it hadn't been a disaster. Amy had surprised her and she thought it was all perfect. Beth hadn't been sure about the false eyelashes because she knew Daryl was hardly a fan of them but Amy insisted that they were 'natural looking' ("_See! It even says it on the box. Number 3, 'Au Natural'._") and that they would give her eyes an extra _something. _Beth had given in and had to admit that they did look pretty good.

Her make up was light and very simple but Beth couldn't remember the last time she had worn so much - after all, Amy had even penciled in her eyebrows and lined her lips - and she had felt a little uncomfortable, but Maggie told her that she looked amazing and her mama said she looked elegant.

Her hair was straight down her back and the veil that she was wearing had a little tiara that would help to hold her tresses back from her face when she needed it to. It wasn't anything fancy; just simple and pretty plain, but Annette had suggested that it was better than a glitzy, shiny, 'tacky' piece. Beth had giggled at that and taken her mama's advice because it had never failed her before, and now she was definitely glad for it.

The farm really was a picture, though, and it was hard to hold back her tears. The lanterns were everywhere and Beth wasn't even sure how her parents had managed to get them so high in the trees or how they had managed to get them to stick, either. They covered the porch of the farmhouse, too, and the barn in the distance, as well as all of the gazebos that had been set up across the fields not too far from the house. Tables had been set up inside of the gazebo with light tablecloths covering them as well as one table that was placed at the back of the biggest gazebo and seemed to run on forever. Beth knew that it was where she would be sitting with her husband after the ceremony and her heart skipped a beat at the thought.

Daryl.

Her _husband._

Annette seemed to read her daughter's mind and knew that she was getting emotional again so she placed her arms on her shoulders and turned her into the direction of the house.

"Come on, dear," her mama said. "We've still got to get you in your dress, and I need to get changed, too."

Beth nodded her head and followed her mother's lead into the house, turning round and stealing one last glance at the farm. It was honestly breathtaking and Beth couldn't wait until it was later in the evening so that she could see everything lit up in the darkness.

She looked at herself properly in the mirror once she had put on the dress and the shoes. The veil was in her hands and she shakily placed it on top of her head, making sure that the tiara didn't tangle in her hair. Beth released a breath once the outfit was complete and she stood up a little straighter, trying her hardest to muster up some confidence over her nerves. Currently, the nerves were winning the battle.

Maggie didn't knock before she came bursting through the door and she gasped at the sight of her sister. Beth turned to her and smiled, complimenting her sister on how the pink bridesmaid's dress suited her so well. Maggie had been growing her hair and it was getting much longer now, falling below her collar bone, and Beth thought it suited her so well.

Her sister took a tentative step towards her and broke out in a smile, tears welling up in her green eyes. Beth told her not to dare start crying because it would only set her off and then both of them would ruin their make-up, but Maggie just laughed a little and looked at the floor. She looked back up at Beth after a moment and bit her lip before speaking.

"You look so beautiful, Bethy," Maggie sighed.

Beth smiled at the compliment and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears. Maggie stretched out her hand and pulled the piece of hair back out and smoothing it in place.

"I can't believe you're gettin' married."

Beth inhaled and couldn't help but grin.

"Best believe it," she said, chuckling nervously.

Maggie carried on smiling at her and there was an emotion in her sister's eyes that Beth just couldn't put a finger on. Beth wondered if Maggie had finally come to accept Daryl now; after all, she had been trying with him for quite some time. He had seemed reluctant to communicate with her and still wasn't necessarily on friendly terms with her, but Daryl had been making a bit more of an effort too and was being pretty civil with her.

Beth supposed that had to count for something.

"Are you ready?" Maggie asked, and Beth nodded her head. "Come on then," she said. "Daddy's waitin' for you.

* * *

Her mother looked as though she was about to burst into tears herself when Beth emerged at the top of the stairs and Maggie helped her walk down them. The shoes she wore had a little bit of a heel and even though it wasn't massive; it still wasn't flat, either, and given how nervous Beth was, she wouldn't put it past herself to slip and fall all the way down the stairs of the farmhouse, breaking her back and ruining her dress in the process. She had always been clumsy and was glad that she had Maggie to grab on to.

Hershel told her that she looked beautiful and Beth wasn't sure that she would be able to get used to people saying that to her, not even today of all days. She ducked her head a little and then kissed him on the cheek before placing her hand in his.

"Are you ready, Bethy?" he asked.

Beth nodded her head confidently at him.

"Yes, daddy," she said, her voice soft but strong. "I am."

Hershel smiled at his youngest and Beth's heart almost burst at how _proud _he looked of her in that moment. It reminded her of when she had graduated from college and her parents had held a dinner to celebrate. She supposed that the way they were doing this was almost similar except for the much larger number of guests that would be dining with them that evening.

Beth slipped her arm through her daddy's and walked with him outside of the house. Lizzie, Mika, Rosita, Tara and Judith were stood on the porch waiting for her - except for Judith, who was sat in Rosita's arms, behaving ever-so-well for a toddler. Beth beamed at all of her bridesmaid's and they walked ahead of Beth and Hershel towards the large gazebo where Father Gabriel was waiting to marry her.

Once they stopped outside, Beth gave her daddy a nervous look and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. The soft smile never fell from his face and Beth wasn't sure what she had been expecting to feel today, but she felt very overwhelmed and emotional as the music began to play. The bridesmaid's walked down the aisle first and the guests laughed as Judith toddled up in, throwing flower petals from a little basket as she did so, although they seemed to catch in her dress and under her feet and in Rosita's hair more than they landed on the aisle.

Beth swallowed down her nerves and Maggie turned her head from where she was beginning to walk down the aisle, smiling brightly in her direction. Beth couldn't hold back the dazzling smile that spread across her face, though she did bite her lip in an attempt to. Her daddy nudged her a little and asked her once more if she was ready. Beth turned to face him and didn't even need to respond; the smile on her face seemed to say it all, and Hershel began to walk her down the aisle.

She had never been a fan of being the center of attention. That was always more Maggie's thing, and Beth couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious as she felt everyone's eyes on her. Her daddy whispered to her again that she was beautiful and Beth's eyes scanned across the inside of the gazebo where it seemed like thousands of guests were sat until she found her mother's eyes.

Annette had done a fantastic job of organising the wedding; and although Beth wished she could take credit for it, she honestly couldn't. The inside of the main gazebo was set up like a church. The floor was covered in a white sheet and the chairs were spread out in rows similar to pews. There wasn't an altar but there was a large arch of flowers that Father Gabriel was stood just underneath and -

_Daryl._

He was wearing a navy suit and Beth couldn't help but blush when his eyes found hers from across the room. The nerves and the self-consciousness of knowing that everyone was watching them suddenly disappeared and the huge grin on her face never faltered. Daryl smiled back at her and it seemed to take forever to get to him.

Beth couldn't help but wonder why he didn't wear suits all of the time. As much as she loved his flannel shirts and his blue jeans, she really loved that suit.

Hershel handed his daughter over to Daryl with a gentle smile and a tap of the shoulder. Beth beamed at her daddy and watched as he went to sit down next to her mother, the pair of them watching her with joyful expressions. Annette gave Beth a little thumbs up and Beth couldn't help but giggle, which may or may not have also been a little bit influenced by the fact that she could also see Merle Dixon sat in a shirt and tie almost directly behind her mama.

The ceremony went by quickly and Beth couldn't stop smiling. Her hands were trembling slightly when she exchanged rings with Daryl and she briefly wondered how he seemed to be so calm. She searched his eyes as he said his vows and she was glad that Maggie had pushed her into hiring someone to photograph and record the whole ceremony because it went by in such a blur that Beth wasn't sure she would remember every detail the way the she wanted to.

Her attention was solely on Daryl and she didn't hesitate when Father Gabriel told him that he could kiss her. In fact, it was mostly her kissing him, having been wanting to do it since she first laid eyes upon him that day.

Beth caught sight of her mama crying and Hershel was smiling and even Maggie was grinning at the newly weds as they made their way down the makeshift aisle. Beth giggled; feeling incredibly light-headed and dizzy and painfully happy. She had been so in love with Daryl for such a long time and for a while, it had felt like they were already married, but now all she had to do was sign off the papers and it would be official and real. It pretty much _was _official and real.

She wasn't a Greene anymore. She was Beth Dixon now.

* * *

**O-kay so this chapter ended up being WAY longer than I thought it would so last minute I've decided to split it into two parts. **

**The reception will be the next chapter. **

**I hope you all enjoyed the wedding! I've not been to one in YEARS so it was a little bit difficult to write but I hope I included everything and didn't miss anything to major. Please review and let me know what you thought! **


	27. Chapter 27

**Aaaaaaand here's the reception.**

**Enjoy!**

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Not only had Maggie encouraged Beth to hire someone to photograph and record the actual wedding ceremony, she had also pushed her to pay extra so that they stayed for the reception. At the time, Beth had bitten her lip and thought long and hard about it. After all, it was an extra three hundred dollars for them to stay for the whole day and she wasn't sure whether it would be worth it or not.

Now that she was living it and realising how quickly the day was flying by and how many little things she would probably forget, Beth was more than grateful for her sister's encouragement. It wasn't like Maggie had given Beth much of a choice either way, but even so, she hadn't exactly forced her into doing something against her own will. Either way, Beth was more than thankful that the memories of the day would be captured on film and on photographs because she was so overwhelmed and she wasn't sure how much more she could take in.

Her daddy's speech had made her choke up a little and Rick's best man speech had made her laugh whilst it made the tips of Daryl's ears burn bright red. Maggie had said a few words as chief bridesmaid and had even welcomed Daryl into the family, which Beth thought was a huge move on her sister's part. Daryl had only nodded in acknowledgement of that, and Beth had been worried that everyone would have noticed that there was still a bit of tension between the pair, but Shawn had given Beth a reassuring look from where he sat a few seats down from her and she relaxed almost instantly.

She had been right; the lanterns looked _amazing _in the darkness and Beth wished that she could live in this moment forever. She had left the gazebo where most of the guests were feeding themselves with the huge buffet that Annette had prepared - which Beth was sure could feed over one thousand people, not just over fifty - and was enjoying the peace and quiet for a moment.

A hand ghosted across her back and Beth jumped at the feel, clutching at her heart and turning round quickly. Her wide blue eyes focused on Daryl's and she wasn't sure who she had really thought it would be, but she couldn't help but be jumpy by nature. That was one thing about her that would probably never change.

"Hey," Daryl said, his voice low.

He was smirking a little and Beth couldn't help but narrow her eyes at him.

"I don't think you're supposed to give your wife a heart attack on your weddin' night," she scolded him playfully.

Daryl gave her a knowing look that made her laugh and then he was placing both of his big hands on her hips and pulling her closer to him. She sighed happily at his touch and edged closer, resting her palms on his cheeks as she reached up to kiss him.

His mouth was hungry against hers and their tongues were in the middle of a battle when he abruptly broke the kiss. Beth's chest was rising and falling quickly as she tried to catch her breath, looking at Daryl with questioning eyes.

"Gettin' carried away," he murmured against her lips when she leaned back in to him to steal another kiss.

She froze, enjoying the sensation of his lips tickling against hers as he spoke. Beth couldn't help but smirk a little and Daryl mimicked her expression.

"Best get back in there," he told her, pulling his head back slightly. "I reckon people are gonna wonder where we got off to."

"We just got married," Beth said, stressing the last word. "I think people will have an idea."

Beth leaned in to kiss him once more but Daryl took another step back, his hands never leaving her hips as she moved closer again. He allowed her to kiss him once - short and sweet and over far too quickly - before he pulled away for a final time.

"Okay," Beth sighed in defeat. "I'm comin'. I was just enjoyin' the fresh air. It's a little overwhelmin' in there, don't you think?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders at her.

"Dunno," he said simply. "Guess so. S'not too bad."

Beth's eyes searched his face for a moment before she smiled softly.

"It's beautiful out here," she told him, reaching out one of her hands and letting it glide across his freshly shaven cheek. "Mama's done a good job."

Daryl made a humming noise at the back of his throat that told her he agreed and Beth's closed-lip smile grew a little wider. She examined him for a moment; taking it all in, reminding herself over and over and over again that _this man was her husband. _

"Kinda 'minds me of our first date," he mumbled as he turned his face into her palm, placing a soft kiss to it.

Beth felt tears prickle in her eyes at his words but she fought them away.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Her voice was almost a whisper and she wasn't sure but she could have sworn that she heard it cracking. Daryl seemed to tense her emotional tone and placed one of his hands over hers, holding it steady against his cheek. The other one of his hands crept back to rest on her hip again and Beth wasn't even surprised to notice that she had missed the feeling of him there.

"You reckon I'd forget?" he asked.

Beth shook her head no.

"I didn't say that," she told him. "I just wasn't sure if you would think it... If it would remind you of it. That's all."

She had been worried that she had offended him, but Daryl smiled a little at that and closed his eyes before stepping in closer to her, placing a kiss on her hairline. His lips lingered there for a moment and Beth reveled in the sensation before he eventually took a step back from her.

Beth followed his eyes as they darted around the farm, taking in the sights of the lanterns lighting up around the various gazebos and around the barn and the big old farmhouse that she grew up in. The trees were glowing, too, and Beth wondered how long it had taken to get all of the lanterns everywhere.

Then she wondered how long it would take to bring them down.

"C'mon," he said, his voice low once more.

Beth smiled up at Daryl and placed their hands together so that she could interlace their fingers before she began walking with him back into the gazebo where the party seemed to be in full swing.

* * *

She had never thought that she would ever get Daryl Dixon to dance, never mind in public, but he surprised her. They'd had a few lessons together to prepare and Daryl had never really expressed an interest in it and although she had told him that he really didn't have to dance if he didn't want to, he had always shrugged his shoulders at her and insisted that he wasn't going to ruin her day.

Beth knew that a dance wouldn't ruin her day the same way that it wouldn't make it, but it definitely added to the happiness that she felt. The music was slow and Beth couldn't even remember the song that was playing - once again, she was _really _glad that Maggie had talked her into keeping those guys on all day - because she was mostly occupied with the fact that she was _dancing _with _Daryl Dixon. _

Whenever she told people about how they met, she never really received the same reaction.

Some people seemed shocked, other's not so much. Some people seemed genuinely interested in how she even got a conversation out of him whilst other's were more interested in how they went from bumping into each other at the bar to their first date (Beth tended to skip out the bit from when they first slept together unless it was one of her close friends that she was telling). Almost everyone seemed impressed when she told them the big things that Daryl did that seemed romantic - like their first date in the woods or when he suggested that she moved in with him or when he asked her to marry him - but Beth appreciated the little things even more.

Things like the plant that he had brought round for her or the desk that he had made for the office. Things like the books that he had bought for her birthday or the ring that he had picked out all by himself.

Beth thought that it would probably always be the little things that Daryl did for her that made her happier than anything. Alright, maybe the ring wasn't exactly a little thing - but it wasn't the material value of it that made her dizzy with happiness, more so the sentimental side. Daryl often told Beth that she deserved better than anything that he could give her and that she was out of her mind for even being with him, but Beth didn't agree.

He gave her everything that she could ever want. Beth wasn't sure she was able to repay him for that because she was definitely no good at building things or making things or fixing things, either. She didn't know much about cars or motorcycles - she only knew about music and singing and cooking and baking. The pair of them were different; complete opposites, in fact, but Beth didn't think that it mattered. Not in the end.

Beth just hoped that her loving him would always be enough.

* * *

"Don't enjoy yourself too much, Bethy," Maggie said as she placed a kiss on her sister's cheek.

Annette smacked Maggie's arm playfully before she stepped in closer and pulled her daughter in for a tight hug.

"Ignore your sister," Annette said as she ran her palms up and down the lace material of Beth's dress. "You have as much fun as you want. You're married now, you're allowed to give me grandbabies."

"Mama!" Beth whined, flushing a little at her mother's words.

It probably wouldn't have bothered her had her daddy not been standing _right there._

She darted her eyes in her father's direction and it took a second or two for Annette to realise what her daughter was telling her. Annette laughed out loud and shook her head before mimicking Maggie's actions and placing a soft kiss to her cheek. Hershel was the next to step forward, a warm smile on his face. Beth wasn't sure how he could look so happy after what he had just heard her mama and Maggie saying to her.

"I'm so proud of you, Bethy," he said as he held her close.

Beth received another kiss from her daddy - it must have been the tenth one that he had placed to her cheek that day - and she smiled warmly before bidding him goodbye. Most of the guests had left a by now and when Beth began yawning, her family insisted that she left to go home with Daryl.

The pair hadn't booked a fancy hotel to celebrate in and Beth was incredibly relieved. Right now, she was desperate for the sense of normality that their home would provide. Plus she was so used to sleeping on their mattress now and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to sleep in another bed the same way. It would just feel wrong.

Beth caught Daryl saying goodbye to Rick and he seemed to know what she was going to say before he even asked. Beth said her own goodbye's to Rick and Michonne and thanked Carl and Judith for the beautiful job they did at the wedding service, even though Judith didn't really understand anything Beth was saying. Rick insisted that the toddler was being grouchy because of how long the day had been and it was way past her bedtime, but Judith only offered Beth smiles and giggles. Beth tried not to look overly pleased with herself.

When they pulled up into the drive, Beth let out a little sigh of relief and slipped off her shoes, allowing her feet to breathe for the first time all day. Daryl raised a brow at her and she shrugged her shoulders, a little smile playing on her lips. Beth reached out to the door handle but Daryl stretched across her and wrapped his palm around her wrist. Beth jumped a little at the contact before giving him a quizzical look.

"Wait," he told her, and Beth's eyes widened with realisation.

She let out a giggle that even a school girl would be envious of and Daryl offered her a lop-sided grin before he ducked out of the car and made it round to her side. Daryl opened the door and Beth's eyes trailed over him once more. He had undone his top button and loosened his tie and untucked his shirt but he still looked more than handsome and Beth was suddenly anything but worn out anymore.

Beth laughed with glee as Daryl scooped her up with ease, although he grumbled that she was definitely heavier than she looked. Beth wanted to frown at the comment but it just made her laugh louder. She wasn't sure that anything could make her frown today. Daryl nudged the car door shut with his elbow before he walked her to the front door, struggling a little to get the door keys out of his suit pocket.

"You didn't really think this through, did you?" Beth teased, a smirk resting on her lips.

Daryl just narrowed his eyes at her but he was still smiling as he rummaged around and he let out a triumphant noise once he had found them. Beth swiped them quickly from his hands to save him the trouble and kept one arm wrapped around the back of his neck whilst she placed the key in the lock and twisted it, Daryl pushing the door open with his foot. Beth told him that they made an excellent team as he walked them through the threshold and she couldn't help but lean in closer and kiss him once the front door was closed.

He led them upstairs, his mouth only breaking from hers when he needed to let them into the bedroom, and then he was placing her down on the bed beneath him. Beth let out a soft sigh and went to remove her veil as Daryl kicked off his shoes, but he tugged her arms back to her sides before she got the chance.

"Nah," he said, his voice low and his breath warm on her neck.

Beth shivered, although she was anything but cold.

"Leave it on."

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**I think the next chapter will be the last one, but I'm not one hundred percent sure.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**You asked for smut, you received it. **

**It's not exactly the longest chapter I've ever written but I did type it all on my phone which was SO annoying. And it's pretty much all smut which made me blush the whole way through. So yeah... Enjoy!**

* * *

"Leave it on."

Beth didn't get the opportunity to respond because Daryl's mouth was on hers quicker than she could blink. Her breath was caught in the back of her throat but she quickly relaxed back into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of Daryl's hands trailing all over her body. She mimicked his movements as his tongue begged entrance to her mouth, allowing her hands to roam over the silky material of his shirt. Beth tugged at his blazer and he reluctantly moved his hands from where they were gripping tightly at her waist and helped her remove it, discarding it to the floor quickly and placing his mouth back on hers as soon as it hit the ground.

Daryl's hands were wrapping around her again, but this time they went to the back of her dress and tugged at the zipper. He pulled the zipper down excruciatingly slowly and Beth groaned happily into his mouth once he had finished with it. Daryl tugged the material down in a much gentler way than he had done with his blazer, holding the bottom of the sleeves as she tugged her arms out and then peeling the rest of it down her waist and over her legs. Daryl seemed a little unsure of what to do with it as he rolled it down to her feet and Beth just smirked up at him before kicking the rest of it off, allowing it to fall onto the floor on top of his blazer.

He smirked back at her and then his mouth was on her neck, moaning against her as his fingers trailed over her white lace bra. Beth usually strayed away from 'sexy' lingerie - more than anything, it was kind of intimidating, but Maggie had practically forced her into buying the matching lace bra and panties. Her sister had informed her that she desperately needed some suspenders to match, too; but that had been where Beth drew the line. She was comfortable in her own skin but she felt as though that was just all too much.

Besides, Daryl didn't seem to mind that she wasn't wearing suspenders. Actually, he seemed more than perfectly content as his mouth trailed down her neck and towards her cleavage, placing open mouth kisses against her skin that made her wetter by the second. Daryl tugged at the top of her bra, not removing it completely but instead pulling it down enough so that her nipples were exposed. Beth gasped at the cool air as it hit her in the sensitive area and she gasped again as Daryl's lips latched on to her.

Beth pushed her chest further into him as his tongue and his teeth worked against her and she was certain that if he kept this up then she would definitely come from the sensation alone. She wasn't sure what it was that made her remember her lack of clothing compared to his fully-dressed state, but when she did she wrapped her fingers into his hair and tugged his head upwards.

Daryl was kissing her again before she could move and their mouths quickly began to fight a battle that neither would win. One of Beth's hands made it's way up to his shirt and she yanked at the tie, pulling it undone and throwing it on the floor with the other items of clothing, and then she began to tug at his buttons. They were easy enough to pop open and Beth was glad because she usually struggled with those damned things. Her free hand crept downwards towards his pants and then she was rubbing her hand against his bulge and Daryl groaned into her mouth at the feeling.

Beth couldn't help but smirk.

It always felt like an accomplishment whenever she got one of those noises from him. In their day-to-day lives he was much quieter than her and he was in the bedroom, too; but sometimes his grunts would turn into groans and long moans and breathy curse words and Beth wasn't sure whether anything ever felt better than hearing those sounds. Especially when she knew they were because of _her._

Soon, Daryl's shirt and pants were on the floor with the rest of their clothing and it was just their underwear that lay between them. He was kissing up her thighs and around her stomach and basically everywhere and anywhere that wasn't her sweet spot. Beth whimpered in frustration and the feel of him smirking against her only seemed to make her desire stronger.

He didn't remove her underwear but instead tugged the center lining to the side so that he had easy access to her. Daryl had been teasing her for what had felt like forever and Beth had expected the torture to continue on, but he surprised her by immediately placing his tongue onto her clit and flicking away at it.

Beth's toes were curling and her hands gripped at Daryl's hair as his mouth worked against her in the most wonderful way. Beth moaned as his big fingers slipped inside of her and she shrieked as he sucked onto her clit, the pressure feeling as though it was almost too much. Her legs were quivering when he grabbed her ass cheeks with both hands and flipped the two of them over so that she was straddling his face.

Had he initiated their antics in this way, Beth probably would have been more shy and self-conscious, but she was too far gone to care about anything like that anymore. She had been waxed and prodded and bathed in a deliciously scented bath the night before so that she was ready for her big day and that knowledge alone was enough for her not to care. Daryl seemed to be enjoying himself and he grabbed roughly at her cheeks as she ground herself down against his face, gasping and panting as her orgasm grew closer.

When she came, she came hard. Daryl didn't stop flicking at her bud with his tongue until she was practically crying on top of him, the sensation far too much for her to be able to deal with. Daryl placed one last gentle kiss to her (and that really did make her blush) before he pulled himself from underneath her.

Daryl's back was resting against the bed frame and as much as she wanted to return the favour that he had just done for her, she wasn't sure that she would be able to last that long without him inside of her.

So Beth reached behind her and tugged at his boxers so that he sprang free and then her hand wrapped round the length of him. Daryl hissed at the contact and groaned loudly as she began to move her hand up and down, biting her lip as she watched his face flicker through many different expressions - all of pleasure.

He was clearly feeling as impatient as her because it wasn't long before he was mumbling something incoherent and then he was grabbing at her hips and practically shoving her on top of him. They both moaned loudly as she slipped onto him and then she began to rock against him, one of his hands resting on her hip whilst the other grabbed at her ass.

They remained in that position and it didn't take long until the telltale signs of him approaching orgasm began to appear. Daryl's breathing was unsteady and now both of his hands were on her hips as he met her trusts with enthusiasm and fast pace. Beth was practically bouncing on top of him, her hair flying wildly around them both.

Her own hands were preoccupied; one of them buried in his hair, the other wrapped around his neck.

Like her, when Daryl came, he came hard and deep inside of her. His eyes shot open as he unloaded himself within her and Beth watched him as he filled her. Daryl's body was trembling by the time that he had finished and he looked thoroighly exhausted, some of his hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. She dreaded to think about how awful her own must look now, but those thoughts were quickly shoved to the side when Daryl's hands moved from her waist to her jaw.

Beth looked into his deep blue eyes for a moment as the pair of them caught their breath, and she couldn't help but let out a breathless little laugh. He responded with a smile and a half-laugh of his own before he was leaning in to her and kissing her. This time their kiss was still full of passion but nowhere near as much desperation.

She let out a sigh of content as he slid his body down the headboard so that his back was against the mattress and his head was against the pillow. Beth smiled down at him from where she was still straddled above him. Daryl reached his hand behind her head and nudged her down to him, allowing her to rest her head on top of his chest.

It felt as though there was so much that she wanted to say to him - her husband - but she didn't. She suddenly realised just how tired she was and she could tell that Daryl was exhausted, too. She tilted her head upwards so that she could get a glimpse of him and smiled warmly at him.

Beth decided that words could wait until tomorrow. Instead, she decided to tell him the one thing that she always did before she went to sleep every night, thinking that the day had been more than perfect from start to finish.

"I love you, Daryl," she said.

"Love you too, Beth."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and please review! I think the next chapter will be the last one. What would you like to see me wrap it up with? Let me know!**


	29. Chapter 29

**So here it is, the final chapter to my little story. I can't believe it's finished! I've mentioned a few times that this is my first time ever writing a fanfiction and I can't believe how many of you have responded so positively to this. I honestly never expected to receive the feedback that I have and I've loved sharing this world with you and indulging in this ship, too. **

**I wasn't sure where to go with the final chapter and basically the whole of this was based on a suggestion from TWDFan05. ****I'll probably be starting writing the sequel to this soon and I also have another idea for a Bethyl fic that I think I'm going to get started on tonight. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing this story for the last few weeks!**

* * *

"Damn girl, how many bags do ya need?"

Beth giggled a little as Daryl stared wide-eyed at the bags that littered the living room floor. She hadn't thought that she had over packed, but now that she was looking at them all again, she considered the fact that she might have gone a _little _bit overboard.

Nothing too much, though.

"Reckon you're about ready to leave?" Daryl asked.

Beth nodded her head at his question and pushed herself up from where she had been sat at the dining room table. Daryl stretched his arms over his head before he made his way over to her, placing his hands on her hips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and bounced up on her tiptoes so that she could press a quick kiss to his lips. She bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before craning her neck and peeking over his shoulder at the bags once more.

"Do you think I've gone a little over the top?"

Daryl laughed at that and the sound made Beth grin. Her teeth were still digging into her lip in an attempt to fight it but she couldn't help but smile.

"Nah," he said, shaking his head at her. "Sure you've made sure we've got everythin' we need."

It was him who kissed her this time and Beth relaxed into it a little, her fingers edging upwards and slipping into his hair. Daryl broke the kiss much sooner than she would like but she supposed that they really did have to get going if they wanted to make it to Nashville on time.

They were going for a week to celebrate their wedding anniversary and Beth had always wanted to go. She hadn't been too sure whether Daryl would be keen on the idea but he seemed interested enough and she supposed that counted for something. He was never really as enthusiastic about her as anything, but whenever Beth mentioned it, he told her that he thought that she was eager enough for the both of them.

She supposed that was probably true.

Daryl pulled away from her arms and strolled slowly towards the dining room table, glancing down at the open photo albums that were sprawled across it. Beth watched him for a moment before slowly following behind him, stepping in to him as he draped an arm around her shoulder. Beth looked down once more at the albums that covered the surface of the table and smiled fondly at the memories that they brought back.

"I can't believe it's been a year," she told him in a quiet voice.

Daryl let out a noise to signal to her that he agreed before he placed a gentle kiss to the side of her head. Beth let out a sigh of content before she rested her head against his shoulder, the pair of them looking down at the pictures before them.

"You know, mama keeps naggin' me about havin' babies."

He chuckled at that and Beth wasn't surprised. It was something that they discussed every now and again but they had been enjoying the way that it was with just the two of them for the past year and although Beth knew that she wanted to be a mother, she wasn't sure whether she was ready right now. She was only twenty five and had recently been promoted to a supervisor on her ward and Beth wanted to get more comfortable with her job role before she had to leave on maternity.

"She's pretty persistent, huh?" Daryl asked.

Beth nodded firmly against his shoulder.

"Sure is. Think she's worried, 'cause I'm the youngest and I'm the only one that's really settled down."

"Thought Maggie was still seein' Glenn?"

"She is," Beth said, stepping back from his hold to begin closing the photo albums and piling them neatly on the table. "But that doesn't mean she's ready for anythin' more serious yet. You know what she's like. A total commitment phobe."

Beth was laughing lightly as she spoke about her sister and Daryl almost smiled, too. Things between Daryl and Maggie would never be perfect - they would never even be close to perfect between Beth and Maggie, either; and they were _sisters _\- but he seemed to understand that she was trying, and Beth thought that the effort meant something to him. Even if it wasn't much. She knew that her husband much preferred Glenn's company to Maggie's and there were times when Beth would have to agree with him on that.

Shawn was still living in the city and Beth missed her big brother terribly. He always promised to visit but he never really did except for the holidays and the odd birthday and Beth wondered whether she would ever see him regularly. She reminded herself that her brother had a new way of life now and was happy there, even if he had just broken up with his long-term girlfriend.

Beth finished piling up the albums and made sure they were placed neatly on one of the living room shelves before she turned around to face Daryl again.

"Ready?" he asked.

Beth smiled at him.

"Ready."

She helped him gather up some of the bags and take them out to the truck. It took three times of coming back and forth but eventually they had collected them all. Daryl locked the front door behind him and Beth pushed the handle to double-check that it was definitely locked, fighting back a smile as Daryl gave her a knowing look.

Beth climbed into the passenger seat as Daryl started up the engine and gave her one last glance.

"Definitely got everythin'?" he said. Beth nodded confidently and Daryl put the truck into reverse. "Forgot to tell you," he said. "Rick asked me to be best man."

Beth's eyes widened dramatically at that but then she smiled at him warmly. She was pleasantly surprised at the news, but not gobsmacked. After all, Rick and Michonne had been engaged for a few months now - it was probably about time that they started planning for the wedding.

"Are you excited?" Beth asked him.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders, his eyes flickering from the road to Beth.

"Dunno," he told her. "Guess it means I gotta write a speech, don't it?"

Beth smiled playfully at that.

"He did write one for your wedding," she reminded him, and Daryl chuckled a little.

"Shit," he mumbled. "Best get thinkin' o' some god awful stories, then."

They both laughed at that and Beth shook her head, resting her chin on her knuckles as she stared out of the window. They had a long drive ahead of them so she tried her hardest to get comfortable. It didn't feel like that long had passed when they drove past the sign that informed them that they were leaving Georgia.

"Well," she said. "Guess I managed to get you out of Georgia again."

Daryl smirked at that, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel in time to the song that was playing on the radio.

"Yeah. Guess you did."

* * *

**Thank you all for reading this and please review this last chapter and let me know what you think! I hope this wrapped up the story enough for your liking. I have loved writing this story and loved reading all of your reviews on it so thank you for making my first time writing a fanfiction so enjoyable and making sure that I write another! I have loved this version of Daryl and Beth who live in a world where the dead aren't walking and there aren't many obstacles in the way of their relationship so they just get to _be_. I'm glad so many of you have loved that version of them, too. **

**Once again, thank you so much for reading. You guys are the best!**


	30. Chapter 30

_Hello everyone!_

_I feel a little bit mean updating this without a chapter etc but I just wanted to let you all know that I've started writing the sequel to this story. It's been a little bit longer than I originally planned because in that time I've started another two Bethyl stories and also a one-shot, aaaaand I've also been struggling over the plan for the story and how I'm going to go about it. There's still nothing firmly set in stone, HOWEVER I am more confident with the plot and where I'm taking it, so that's why I started it._

_Anyway, ramblings aside... it's called 'Chosen One' and you'll find it on my page. I'm hoping to update it quite regularly so I would appreciate it if you went and checked it out and let me know what you think of it so far!_

_Once again, thanks for all of the support that I've received for this story. I'm still getting notifications about people who are favouriting/following/reviewing this story and it makes me so happy to see that people are still enjoying this version of Beth and Daryl even when I've finished it._

_Hope to hear from you all soon!_


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